Grit By Name and By Nature

Recipes

Maple Sea Salt Pecan Cookies (paleo, keto-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, low carb)

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These cookies were truly a gift from the universe. Three seemingly unrelated events had to happen before these bad boys were beheld unto us:

  1. I accidentally ordered 6 bags of Squirrel’s Salted Caramel pecans on Amazon. I then not-so-accidentally decided to keep all six bags (I am completely and utterly incapable of Amazoning. The youths make it look so easy. It’s not.)
  2. Frontier Co-op’s Maple Extract went on sale at our local grocery store; FINALLY giving me an excuse to purchase it.
  3. On Episode 5 of Season 4 of the Great British Baking Show, one of the bakers made a Maple Pecan Pinwheel.

These pinwheels lit a fire in me n C. One that led to a fierce and immediate need for a maple pecan dessert.  Blind with desire, I grasped at all things maple and delicious in our uninspiring but functional kitchen. At the time, I didn’t appreciate the serendipitous contents of our cupboards. In retrospect, it may have saved C and I from a complete and utter Great British Baking Show breakdown (if you know, YOU KNOW).

All I remember from this tumultuous night was almond flour flying and maple syrup flowing. It’s not until the timer went off on our toaster oven (you know we mean business when we use our toaster oven instead of our toasted oven) that my memory focused.

I opened that tiny red oven door and the smell of maple syrup filled our apartment. Angels sang. There was a glowing light. Perfect little cookies shone before our eyes.

We ate the entire first batch that night.

C begs me to make these cookies. All. The. Time. And I’m more than happy to comply. You know that I love adding high quality calories to my diet in a controlled fashion using high quality cookies. And these little guys come in at only 60 calories per cookie, allowing me to enjoy them multiple times throughout the day. The only bad thing about these cookies, is that they seem to magically disappear from our fridge. Perhaps the cookie monster is real after all? Or perhaps I have a C monster…

So, from the universe, to me, to you, Salted Maple Pecan cookies.

Maple Pecan Sea Salt Cookies

paleo, low-carb, grain-free, gluten-free
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 11 mins
Total Time 21 mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 66 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/8 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup almond butter
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/8 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp maple extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 oz pecans (chopped)
  • coarse sea salt (for topping)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet. 
  • Combine all dry ingredients in bowl. Add wet ingredients and beat well with stand or hand mixer.
  • Fold in pecans.
  • Place cookies (~1 tbsp of dough) on sheet. The cookies don’t spread much, so pat down the balls of dough with your hand to desired width. I like to top my cookies with a pecan 🙂 sprinkle cookies with sea salt.
  • Bake for about 11 minutes or until cookies turn a golden brown.

Notes

When I’m feeling sassy, I use the Squirrel Salted Caramel Pecans.  Give it a go. You will not be disappointed. 
 
DISCLAIMER: I live in a shit apartment with a shit oven. When I preheat my oven, I also preheat my apartment. Remember this when considering my baking times.
Keyword cookie, gluten-free, grain-free, keto, maple, paleo, pecan

Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts with Blueberry Icing (paleo-friendly, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb)

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Guys, I’m not going to lie to you. I had MANY a failure in trying to perfect this recipe. But because lemon poppy seed is one of my husband’s all-time favorites and because I had to live up to my namesake, I persevered. And boy am I glad that I did.

These grain-free. gluten-free, sugar-free, paleo blueberry lemon poppy seed donuts are nothing short of divine. The recipe for these bad boys was derived from, of all things, a corn bread recipe from my grandma’s health food store in Park Rapids, MN. The corn bread recipe was stripped of its corn, replaced with coconut, and combined with lemon poppy seed flavors to create the ultimate Frankenstein coconut lemon poppy seed donut. The eggy and coconut-y base gives the muffin a beautiful yellow color, and the blueberries offer just enough sweetness to counteract the acidic lemon flavor. Not to mention the recipe is SUPER easy to whip up and provides such a cheery addition to any brunch setting.

So prepare to impress friends and taste buds alike with this sunshiny donut deliciousness:

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts with Blueberry Icing

paleo, keto, gluten-free, sugar-free, grain-free
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Servings 6 donuts

Ingredients
  

Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Donut

  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 lemons
  • small handful frozen blueberries (optional)

Blueberry Icing

  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tbsp coconut butter (or coconut manna)
  • 1 splash lemon juice

Instructions
 

Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Donut

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease donut pan.
  • Combine coconut flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add in the flour mixture and honey and stir until well combined. Batter will be fluffy and firm. More like a dough. Or Amazon packing fill.
  • Fill donut pan 1/3 full of batter and top with frozen blueberries. Fill to 2/3 full and repeat. Fill tins completely (NOTE: batter does not rise much, so the molds should be completely full) and repeat. (three total layers of blueberries)
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Blueberry Icing

  • While donuts are cooling, thaw 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries. Do not drain.
  • Mash the f out of the blueberries. I used the attachment pictured for my hand mixer. I have no idea what this attachment is for, but it mashes blueberries like a real gem. Don’t be fooled by online trolls who will tell you to remove the skin from the mixture. The skin is good. The skin is plumb full of nutrients and fiber. The skin is our friend.
  • Melt 1 tbsp of coconut butter (NOTE: it melts hella fast so keep your eyes on it) and mix with the blueberries. 
  • Once cooled, dip donuts in icing. Store finished product in fridge.

Notes

HOT TIP: This blueberry icing makes a dope and versatile topping. Don’t be bound by this recipe. Soar to new heights. Put this shit on banana bread and top with some almond butter. Mix it into your morning oatmeal and sprinkle in some cacao nibs. Blend it into your matcha latte for pure euphoria. But please, learn from me and DO NOT spill in on your shirt unless you want it to be stained forever (hey, everything has its limits).
DISCLAIMER: I live in a shit apartment with a shit oven. When I preheat my oven to 350F, I preheat my kitchen to 350F. Take all my baking times with a grain of salt!
Keyword coconut, donut, easy, gluten-free, grain-free, keto, lemon, paleo

Italian Club Super-food Bowl (paleo, keto-friendly, grain-free, low-carb, high-protein)

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C is a lawyer and I am an engineer. C drinks beer and I drink wine. C likes boring podcasts and I like bumpin music. C watches Game of Thrones and I watch Friends. C’s team Jacob and I’m team Edward.

There just isn’t a lot that we agree on.

However, like most good relationships, there are a few key areas in which our preferences overlap. Like the good engineer that I am, I have plotted this overlap on the diagram below.

Yes, we love bears. And we both live and die for a good Italian club.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate our dedication to this sandwich.

Last August, C and I took an AMAZING road trip through Northern California. We left from Long Beach, hit the Channel Islands, shot straight up to the Redwoods and meandered our way back south over the course of about two weeks. We had no real plan, but at some point, we decided to end our trip with a day in Santa Barbara, one of our happy places.

I’m going to level with you here and confess that we go to Santa Barbara A LOT. And when we do, we tend to be creatures of habit. We know the hikes we like, we know the ice cream we like, we know the shops we like, and we know the food we like. We REALLY know the food we like.

And that food, my friends, is South Coast Deli’s Italian 3-Way Sandwich.

IT IS SO GOOD I’m salivating just thinking about it. It’s layered #THICK with roasted turkey breast, followed by capicola and salami, topped with lettuce, onion, and pepperoncini, and just OOZING with their house made basil mayo. It’s stacked a solid 6-inches high with not one, not two, but THREE layers of chewy and fresh sourdough bread.

Excuse me please, I need a minute.

Okay *wipes sweat from brow*, back to the road trip story.

After a week and a half of a truly amazing and awakening trip, C and I decided to spread our wings and commit to trying something new in Santa Barbara. We yelped. We ate at a restaurant with a penny floor. We stopped at a brewery constructed of reclaimed wood. We ate sustainably sourced ice cream. We sat on the beach and wept because our stomachs were so full.

And yet, we felt empty. Because no amount of avocado toast, industrial-chic interiors, different types of exotic hops, or farmers’ faces could possibly fill the void that the Italian 3-Way Sandwich left behind. So C and I somehow managed to make our way to South Coast Deli (I think we laid on our sides and rolled?) and ordered ourselves the sandwich that we love so very much. There’s always space in our hearts and our stomachs for a good Italian Club.

And from this love, the paleo, low-carb, high protein, keto-friendly, grain-free Italian Club Super-Food Bowl was born.

I love this recipe for a few reasons. 1. It’s super easy and quick to make. 2. It’s high volume, scalable and customizable (C <3s carbs. I don’t eat so many. We are both happy when it comes to this dish.) And 3. It’s all of the amazing flavors of the Italian club without the grains and questionable ingredients.

I’ll stop teasing now and get right into it.

Italian Club Super-food Bowl

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 hungry people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box Banza pasta (or pasta of choice)
  • 6-8 cups leafy greens of choice (i.e. spinach, arugula, mixed greens, romaine)
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 red pepper
  • 2 avocado
  • 1/2 cup pepperoncini
  • 4 oz salami
  • 2-3 organic baked chicken breast (about 12 oz prepared)
  • 6-8 tbsp Primal Kitchen Dreamy Italian (or dressing of choice)
  • 1/2 cup pasta sauce of choice (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Boil water and add Banza pasta. Cook per instructions on box.
  • While the pasta is cooking, thinly slice the red onion, chop the red pepper, and peel and slice the avocado. 
  • Add leafy greens as base to bowl. Add red onion, red pepper, avocado, and pepperoncini.
  • Slice the chicken breast and salami to desired width. Add desired amount to your bowl.
  • When the pasta is done cooking, drain, and toss in pasta sauce if desired. Add desired amount of dressed or plain pasta to bowl. (I only add a small handful, for C its the majority of his bowl.)
  • Top with dressing and chia seeds (optional), toss, and enjoy.
Keyword dinner, easy, grain-free, healthy, keto-friendly, low carb, paleo, quick

One-Bowl Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms (paleo, keto-friendly, gluten-free and grain-free)

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Peanut Butter Blossoms (Paleo, Keto-friendly, Gluten-free and Grain-free)

Cookies get a real bad rep.

Case and point: the number one character associated with cookies is a monster. A Cookie Monster. And following the Cookie Monster is probably Santa Claus and, while I appreciate everything he does for all the good boys and girls of the world, his waist line screams “type 2 diabetes” and frankly, there’s probably a reason you only see him dressed in layers.  

I’m really not sure why cookies are made out to be some sort of conniving temptress. Your husband is not going to leave you for your cookies if you slip up and let one into your cupboard. You’re not going to wake up with a horse’s head in your sheets after a night of baking. At some point in history, someone must have gone on a bad date with cookies and targeted their reputation as revenge because there’s no other explanation for our war against cookies. It’s time we question cookie stigma. Because look man, cookies are great. Cookies do a lot of great things for society. Some of my best friends are cookies.

When I started my reverse diet to heal all the damage that I’ve done to my metabolism over the years, cookies were a key staple to keep my calories up in a controlled but ENJOYABLE way (remember how food is enjoyable? Just double checking).

Now of course I didn’t just go ham on Oreos and Biscoffs (at least… not every day…). High sugar and high carb cookies (are great but) leave me feeling low energy and unsatisfied. And if any of you have any experience with long term restriction, you know the feeling of teetering on the cliff’s edge between eating for satisfaction and binge eating. I also just don’t have time in my day to be continually going back to the snacks fridge to refuel a grumbly stomach! What I really needed was a high-quality snack that I looked forward to eating, with satisfying healthy fats and much needed nutrients.

Enter protein-powered, peanut-packed, chocolate-topped, paleo, keto-friendly, gluten-free and grain-free Peanut Butter Blossoms.  

Healthy peanut butter blossoms (paleo, keto-friendly, grain-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, low-carb)

I live for peanut butter. I think the only thing I prefer to peanut butter is peanut butter paired with chocolate. (And maybe my husband, C.)  So when I discovered peanut powder was a thing, let me tell ya, I was SHOOK. Guys- a half cup of powdered peanuts has over TWENTY-ONE grams of protein. Just more proof that mother nature loves us and wants us to be happy.

So, inspired by my powdery peanut friends, these cookies were born. At a whopping 4 g net carbs, 6 g fat and 4 g of protein, these cookies are a great way to sneak in a satisfying snack between meetings, or a decedent treat at the end of the day. You don’t have to worry about blood sugar swings, because the high fat and low sugar levels provide stable energy to keep you feeling great all day (and night) long. It’s all the comforts of the Christmas-time classics without the looming sugary crash.

Without further ado, I give to you, Grit’s PB Blossoms.

One-Bowl Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms (Paleo, Keto-friendly, Gluten-free and Grain-free)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 108 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup powdered peanuts (Powdered peanut butter works too!)
  • 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/8 cup coconut flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar (can sub for honey but it does add a honey flavor to the cookie)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • chocolate of choice for topping (my favorite is Hu Kitchen’s Vegan Paleo Dark Chocolate Bar)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and line or grease your cookie sheet.
  • Combine the powdered peanuts, natural peanut butter, coconut flour, egg, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Mix together until evenly combined.
  • Place approximately 1 tbsp balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Pat the balls down slightly with your hand before placing in the oven. The cookies DO NOT spread, so make sure you have the height to width ratio that you want before you start baking them 🙂
  • Bake for 11-15 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven and immediately press your chocolate of choice onto the cookie. Let the chocolate melt into place before (eating all the cookies) storing the cookies in the refrigerator. 

Notes

If you’re going to use honey instead of coconut sugar, I would recommend staying away from a salty chocolate topping. The honey and the salt combo is just… it’s a lot.
 
Full disclaimer, I live in a shit apartment with a shit oven. When I preheat my oven to 350F, I preheat my kitchen to 350F. Take all my baking times with a grain of salt!
Keyword cookie, easy, gluten-free, grain-free, healthy, keto, low carb, one-bowl, paleo, peanut butter, quick