Almond Butter Cookies: Recipe Fail, and then Fix!

My husband and I have removed all "temptation foods" out of the house, and we only have real food left - which is great!  Except when it comes to snacks.  Sometimes you just need something to munch on in between meals.  So, I searched the pinterest archive and decided to make some almond butter cookies.  I started with this recipe, but made a few modifications, and cut it in half.  The result was a delicious, but incredibly spread out, thin cookie.  (Fail!)

So then I decided to add some almond flour, because the taste was definitely good, and voila, rescued cookies!  I will come back and edit this recipe in time, but for now, just keep an eye on the consistency of the cookies after you add the almond flour.  I imagine it will probably take about a quarter cup after all is said and done.  I added about 3.5 tbsp to half the recipe.

Batter with almond flour added

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 4-5 tbsp almond flour

Method:

Unbaked cookies on sheet

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Combine the almond butter, honey, syrup and vanilla until well mixed.

2. Add in the egg, baking soda,  and cinnamon.

3. Add in the almond flour, paying attention to the consistency of the batter - it should be still somewhat liquidy, but firm.

4. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drop batter by the spoonful onto the sheet.  The cookies will still spread, so try not to put them too close together.

The result will be a light & fluffy, sweet & delicious almond-y cookie!

Cookies fully baked

One note about these cookies: I'm not sure if it's because I live in Florida and it's more humid here than what I'm used to, but these turned really mushy the next morning.  It helped to store them in the fridge, and then pop them in the toaster oven for 2-5 minutes at 250 degrees before serving.  Back to normal!

Let me know if you try this recipe, and leave your hints and tips in the comments!

Primal Honey-Chipotle BBQ Chicken

I found the base for this recipe on Pinterest, and thought it would be easy to adapt this to a primal-friendly recipe using ingredients that I had on hand in my kitchen... and I was right! This is possibly one of my favourite recipes I have come up with to date - I highly recommend this one!  Without further ado - the Honey-Chipotle BBQ Chicken.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon ground chipotle
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon tapioca (or more, if necessary)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 slice bacon, cooked
• 1 avocado
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.  (Keep an eye on the chicken - I left mine alone, and ended up with a burnt saucepan... thankfully the chicken was fine though!) Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm.

While chicken is cooking, begin preparing sauce.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly.  Add the chipotle seasoning and stir.  If your sauce does not thicken, add in tapioca, 1 teaspoon at a time, as necessary.  Stir in vinegar, honey, and Tamari. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler.

Add your chicken & sauce in a single layer to an ovenproof dish.  Spread your shredded cheddar cheese on top of the chicken.  Dice bacon & spread it on top of the cheddar.  Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts (about 2 minutes).

Slice your avocado onto your plate.  Spoon the chicken on top of the avocado.  Add extra cheese if desired, and serve hot!

Serves: 2

 

Primal Yumminess (Yogurt Chicken Recipe inside)

It took me a while to get back in the swing of things after returning from a lovely vacation with my fiance... but finally, last night, the cooking bug bit me!  I started with a flavourful Yogurt Chicken for dinner, then made some Cinnamon Bun Muffins for breakfast, and this morning, whipped up a quick honey mustard dressing for my lunch-time salad.

 Yogurt Chicken


(Note: I cook only for myself these days, so adjust your measurements as necessary for more people.  This was enough for a substantial amount for dinner, plus a little bit to go into my salad for lunch)

Ingredients:
4 tbsp Greek Yogurt
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder
Sea Salt to taste
1 chicken breast

Method:

• Clean/trim chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl/dish.
• Add all the ingredients (except for chicken) to a small bowl and mix well.  The sauce will take on a lovely yellow colour, thanks to the turmeric! Yum!
• Set aside half of the sauce.  Add the rest to the bowl with the chicken.  Coat well, and let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes (but closer to an hour if you're not starving!)
• Cook in a non stick pan (you may use your favourite cooking oil) until chicken is no longer pink.
• Serve with a side of veggies, and spoon your reserved sauce on top!

Other yummy goodness, in brief:

I tried these yummy Grainfree Cinnamon Bun Muffins via Joyful Abode / Elana's Pantry. I followed the Joyful Abode recipe to the tee and it was PERFECT.  I love the changes that she made to Elana's recipe, because all the ingredients (except cream cheese) were things I normally keep in the house.
I know cream cheese isn't really primal... but I've been having a major sugar craving lately, so this was way better than what I could have indulged in!



The muffins (though with the frosting, maybe they're more like cupcakes) were tender and perfectly delicious.  I had tried out a few different primal cinnamon bun subs, and none of them even came close.  This recipe was quick, easy, and delicious.  It will be a staple in my primal treat file, for sure!

And, the leftover frosting makes perfect dipping sauce for strawberries! Yumm!


This morning, I tried my hand at a quick honey mustard dressing, which was surprisingly quick and easy.  I blended up all the ingredients in my magic bullet in about 5 minutes, and now have a tasty dressing to look forward to for lunch!
There's plenty of leftovers for future salads, so I'll have to see how long it keeps in the fridge, and maybe adjust the recipe size to make a little less for future batches.

What have you been cooking lately?

Primal Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

Tom and I have been sticking to a primal diet for the last four weeks, and have been feeling absolutely great! My favourite part about it is that I haven't really had to limit most of my favourite foods, because there's a way to make everything primal - sometimes it just takes a little bit of extra thought.

If you're new to the primal lifestyle, first check out Mark's Daily Apple.com for the basics, and also have a look at my Pinterest board to see some of the awesome things you can make.

And now, without further ado,  here is our recipe for Primal Honey Garlic Chicken Wings.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken wings 
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp tapioca powder (optional)
• touch of maple syrup (optional)

Method:

1. Broil wings until cooked - cook on one side until golden brown, then flip. (About 30 minutes total - oven times vary, please ensure they are fully cooked before proceeding.)

2. Combine honey, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, arrowroot powder & maple syrup in a bowl.

3. Add sauce mixture to a sauce pan, and cook over medium low heat, until it begins to thicken.  If it does not thicken, you may add the tapioca powder, and it should thicken pretty instantly.

4. When the sauce is thick, remove from heat.  Add the chicken wings to a glass bowl, and pour the sauce over top.  Toss with metal tongs and serve!