Almond Butter (Peanut) Sauce

2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
a couple shakes of fish sauce
dash of salt
boiling water

mix thoroughly

Emeril's Seasoning is my Lifeblood

I am going to write about how awesome this is v soon. 

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars/Bowl

• As I've been racing a lot of bicycles lately, I've been taking a lot of desserts on the road. Although I'd love to make David Lebovitz's gluten free brownies every weekend, I occasionally feel the need to mix it up. The brilliant thing about these bars (or simply baked oatmeal dish - I usually scoop it into a bowl and consume in massive spoonfuls), is that they function as a pretty healthy dessert or an incredibly delicious breakfast, warm or cold. 
• 
  
• Crust:

• 3 cups rolled oats 
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for coating the baking dish
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• Filling:
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• A lot of raspberries
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F 
• 
  
• 1. Generously coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter and set it aside.
• 2. Make the crust. Place the oats, both flours, cinnamon, and the salt in a large heatproof bowl and stir to combine. 
• 3. Place the measured butter, 1/2 cup of the honey, and the brown sugar in the reserved saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Immediately pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. When the mixture’s cool enough to handle but still warm, use a measuring cup to evenly press about two thirds of it into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. 
• 3. Mix the raspberry jam and vanilla and then spread evenly over the oat base (the more jam the better, in my opinion), and then throw as many raspberries as you have on top. Evenly sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the raspberry filling and gently press it in with your fingers.
• 4. Bake until the top is pretty brown on top, (my biggest problem has been undercooking these), about 30 to 40 minutes. 
• 5. Let cool completely before cutting into squares (they are going to fall apart on you, I promise), or simply scoop into a bowl and enjoy. 

Gluten Free Banana Muffins (Still in progress...)

I am absolutely obsessed with banana bread, so I've been working on adapting my favorite recipe to be paleo. However, I don't want to mess with every ingredient all at once, so I'm still working on it. However, my last try worked out great so enjoy!

1 3/4 cups almond flour 
3/4 cup gluten free baking mix
1/3 coconut sugar cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I like things spicy, my measurements tend towards the heaping 1/2 teaspoon side)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk (NO SUBSTITUTIONS)
1 small container of applesauce and then whatever is left of 2/3 coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1 large egg
2-3 large bananas, very ripe (like, black, it makes the muffins sweeter with all the caramelize-y banana sugar)
1 cup chopped walnuts (or more)
at least 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375º

1. In 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup or another high sided bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mashed bananas. With your stick blender, or real blender, blend until smooth. 

2. In a large bowl combine the flours, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt then mix thoroughly.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently. DO NOT OVER MIX, or your will have TOUGH MUFFINS!

4. Generously spray muffin tins with coconut oil cooking spray, including the top surface, so when the muffin top rolls over it won't stick.  

5. Use a 2 ounce ice cream scoop to measure out the batter into muffin cups to the top or even more. Then your muffins will be big and beautiful. 

6. 25-30 minutes or until muffins are pretty browned and a toothpick comes out mostly dry. Rotate mid-way through the cooking time. 

Let rest in the pan five minutes if you can possibly wait that long. If you don't, you may burn your fingers getting them out. Slather with butter and eat them all immediately like I did. 

Sweet Onion Poppy Dressing

Makes approximately 1.5 cups - Use within 3-4 days

1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable or avocado oil
1/4 cup honey, or less - depending on how sweet you like it
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
black pepper to taste

1/2 medium white onion, chopped

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Put the first six ingredients (vinegar through pepper) in a blender or small food processor. (We use the smoothie cup on our Ninja and it works great!) Blend 15 seconds.

2. Add the chopped white onion and blend another 30-45 seconds, or until the dressing is smooth and no onion chunks remain.

3. Add the poppy seeds and shake, then transfer to a clean glass jar.

This would also be great as a slaw dressing.

My favorite combination makes quite the beauty of a salad:
watermelon radishes, 
rainbow carrots, 
a little radicchio, 
beets, 
fresh snap peas, 
hard boiled egg, 
spinach, 
butter lettuce. 

My (David Lebovitz's [Josey Baker's]) Adventure Bread

This has been my first foray into modifying recipes. Now, all due respect to Mr. Lebovitz and Mr. Baker (that probably isn't his name but I'm trying), making this nutty, dense, gluten-free bread from the blog was not as successful as I would have hoped. Only after buying Mr. Baker's bread from The Mill did I see what the problems in the published recipe were. As it is, I am using Mr. Lebovitz's recipe with a few tweaks of my own, explained throughout. Also, I made a sweet version. Here goes.

Savory Adventure Bread

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup sunflower seeds (hulled)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (hulled)

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

3/8 cup toasted poppy seeds

3/4 cup toasted almonds [I used about half tamari roasted almonds, bought at Rainbow Grocery, to add to make it a little more savory.]

1/3 cup psyllium husks [This is the binder for the bread, when liquid is added, they turn gelatinous. These can also be found at Rainbow Grocery.]

3 tablespoons chia seeds

2 teaspoons sea salt [You may want to add more, according to taste.]

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 cups water

Sweet Adventure Bread 

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup sunflower seeds (hulled)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (hulled)

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

3/8 cup toasted poppy seeds

3/4 cup toasted almonds

1/3 cup psyllium husks

2 teaspoons sea salt 

3 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 cups water

Three 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 pans [This is smaller than the recipe calls for but it closer to the size of the bread Mr. Baker sells, it bakes up a lot nicer with more surface area and less interior.]

[You may notice there is no flax in this version. I simply don't like the flavor, and have substituted poppy and sesame seeds, instead. Additionally, I prefer honey to maple syrup.]

[The instructions are the same for both sets of ingredients, you're all good.]

1. Toast the seeds. Heat your oven to 350º and spread sunflower and pumpkin seeds on a baking tray. If your almonds need toasting you can scatter them in, as well. Toast until they start to brown, probably 6-10 minutes depending on your oven, stirring halfway through baking. 

2. Mix everything in a bowl together. Generally in baking, one would have to measure out dry and then pour in the wet ingredients but that isn't super necessary for this one, just mix thoroughly. 

3. Oil pans, and then scoop your mixture in, smoothing the top because this bread does not change while it bakes. Then let them chill in the refrigerator for at few hours, or up to a whole day. Before baking, take it out and let it come to room temperature, this will take a while. 

4. Bake it. Preheat your oven to 400º and bake for about forty five minutes, gingerly removing from pan to cool when they are done. They should be left alone for at least 2 hours. This is a very long process, I know. 

This bread is best toasted, and if eaten with toppings, probably best sliced thin. However, a thick piece of the sweeter bread for breakfast is very tasty and satisfying.