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My Favorite Recipes

Gnocci Pesto Caprese

This is a fun take on an Italian Caprese Salad, and the addition of the gnocchi makes it a full meal. Check to see if gluten free gnocchi is available at your local store. Whole Foods and Sprouts definitely carry it! You can also substitute gluten-free pasta.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg gluten-free gnocchi

  • 4 oz. Buffala mozzarella cheese (fresh mozzarella) - in cubes or mozzarella pearls

  • 1 container organic grape tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup pesto (recipe below)

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Cook the gnocchi per the instructions on the package. Drain and place in a large bowl to cool. If the tomatoes are small enough, add them to the bowl. Cut the larger ones in half or thirds. Cut the mozzarella into bite-size cubes and add to the bowl. Blend the pesto into the mixture carefully, so as not to crush the other ingredients. If the pesto seems too thick, thin it with a little olive oil. Chill for an hour and serve. This salad can also be served warm; the cheese will be soft and melted.

 Basil Pesto 

If there is one food item that we could not live without - it would be pesto. I used to add it to baby food (not fruit - haha) when my kids were little. Now we toss it with steamed veggies, season a soup with it, and, of course, enjoy it in risotto or pasta. This recipe makes approximately 12 ounces. If you like it spicy, add additional garlic. You can also change up the cheese to alter the flavor. For example, Romano has more of a tangy bite to it.

 

2  5 or 6 oz boxed of fresh basil stemmed

1 cup shredded or shaved parmesan

½ cup raw pine nuts

2 Tbsp crushed garlic

¼ cup + olive oil (I always use a California oil)

 

Place the basil leaves and cheese into a food processor. Pulse on high until the mixture is crumbly. Add the pine nuts, salt, and garlic then pulse again for 1 minute. With the processor running on low, add the olive oil. The pesto should become a smooth paste with the texture of mayonnaise. If it seems too thick, add olive oil tablespoon by tablespoon until it thins out. Store in a tightly sealed container. Pouring a little olive oil on the surface helps prevent spoilage. The pesto will last for 2-3 weeks refrigerated.

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini-Muffins

My kids love chocolate. So any recipe including that deliciousness is a hit. However, if you of your kids are not chocolate fans, these muffins are moist and tasty even without the chocolate.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups almond meal

  • 1/2 cup hemp hearts

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1/4 cup monk fruit

  • 2 tbsp. raw honey

  • 3 organic eggs

  • 3 large ripe bananas - mashed

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil melted

  • 1 tbsp vanilla 1 cup Lily's chocolate chips

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Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another bowl mash bananas and add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips. 

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Fill mini-muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Cool and serve.

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Sweet Potato Custard

This higher-protein custard was a favorite of mine when I was going through chemotherapy. I would get hungry at odd times, even in the middle of the night. It was important to eat enough protein, but I often didn’t want a meal. I found this easy to eat and always had multiple cups of custard prepared and in the fridge. I combined my mom’s custard recipe with a recipe I found in One Bite At a Time by Rebecca Katz.

 

Enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dessert. The smooth consistency is very comforting.

 

1 1/4 cups of cooked sweet potato (alternately you can use butternut squash, pumpkin, or a combination)

1 tsp cinnamon (I always use Ceylon Cinnamon)

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp ginger

Scant ¼ tsp nutmeg

3 eggs 

1 cup Almond or Coconut milk (unsweetened)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup monk fruit

2 Tbsp dark maple syrup

 

Preheat your oven to 325 and place a pan of water on the bottom rack. The humidity in the oven will prevent cracking on the top of the custard. In a medium bowl, mix the sweet potato or squash with the spices. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the milk and add the vanilla, monk fruit, and maple syrup. Add the sweet potato mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well combined - 1 to 2 minutes. I like to use a food processor or put the mixture in a blender to achieve a fine, smooth consistency. Fill 4 oz. ramekins ¾ full and place in a large baking pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. The custard is done when a knife inserted in the top comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool. You can enjoy them warm or cold. Let the custard cool completely before putting it into the refrigerator.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Several years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to vacation at Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecate, Mexico. It was January, and while the mountains where I lived were bitterly cold, I was thrilled to be heading south of the border. However, wouldn’t you know it, it was SNOWING when we arrived at the Spa! Fortunately, the welcoming staff quickly greeted us with steaming mugs of this delicious hot chocolate.

I have since revised the recipe, adjusting the chocolate, so that all the sweetening comes from monk fruit, and adding the coconut milk. The texture is thicker, like a melted chocolate bar poured into your cup and reminds me of the “Choclat Africain” at Angelina’s Tearoom in Paris. A small cup is sufficient.

 

Additionally, I discovered that when chilled, this hot chocolate transforms into a creamy, light mousse, making for an elegant dessert.

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1 1/4 cups cooked butternut squash

2 cups Blue Diamond unsweetened chocolate almond milk

1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)

1 tbsp coconut oil

5 oz Choc Zero dark chocolate chips (I use Choc Zero because it is sweetened with only monkfruit and contains no sugar alcohols)

3 oz Choc Zero milk chocolate chips

3 Tbsp Monkfruit

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

 

Melt the coconut oil in a small pan. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chocolate and the monkfruit. Set aside. Place the cooked butternut squash into a blender or food processor; add the chocolate almond milk and process on medium for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the melted chocolate mixture and blend on medium for one minute. Add the spices and blend again for 1 minute. Warm gently in a pan over low heat – do not boil!

Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon and serve.

To serve as a mousse, pour into a glass container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Makes 8 servings. This will keep for 1 week refrigerated.

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