Triple Layer Coconut Candies

I like to get in my coconut oil every day. I recommend it for my students too. I believe the brain needs fats, but I seem to have a tough time convincing my students and parents that coconut oil is healthy for them. Perhaps this recipe will do it. It is so easy to use, I just don't get it. Why are they wary? Read this article about Coconut Babies.

I have been making coconut oil candies--"coco-crack" as some call it for several years. It is so easy, just melt, mix, pour and chill.  I love plain chocolate.  I adore peppermint added to the chocolate. And oh, the peanut butter flavor! I promised yesterday that I would post some recipes I have been playing around with. This one is nothing new--just a bit fancier than the type I have told you about before... a triple layer delight.

But since so many of you have asked on FB for the recipe. Here it is...just a quick bit of info first. The great folks at Tropical Traditions sent me this jar of their finest coconut oil. This is the good stuff. Amazing quality. Check it out here. I will have more news from them soon, so stay tuned to learn more about how you might be able to sample the Gold Label oil for yourself. No announcements today because I wanted to send you off to read the health benefits of the oil before we get going that direction. Contests have all sorts of rules about making health claims and I am certainly no researcher or doctor.

This is my simplest recipe, but I have more that I want to send to the Tropical Traditions site. I have a strawberry mousse that is incredible. That will be the one I will post with more news. Be watching.

Triple Layer Coconut Candies

3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
liquid sweetener to taste, about 18 tsp equivalent, divided

Heat coconut oil until it is melted. Divide it among three bowls. In one bowl, stir in the cocoa powder until completely dissolved. Add liquid sweetener to taste. (I used about 6 drops of E.Z. Sweetz) In another bowl, stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add sweetener to taste. In the last bowl, add sweetener to taste.

To make individual candies, use a silicon form. Mine is squares, but mini muffin cups would work well,  as would conventional candy molds. The pan I use to make the square candies is available here. Divide the chocolate flavored oil among 12 small cups. Set the mixture into the refrigerator to set up. Be sure the mold rests evenly. Chill for about 10 minutes. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer. Return to the refrigerator to set. When firm, take out and pour the remaining clear layer over the peanut butter. Chill until ready to serve.

Serves 12. Each candy is 167 calories and 1 net gram carb.

Just a note--sweeteners really vary a lot, so I cannot emphasize enough to taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking. This brand of coconut oil seems sweet and flavorful already, so yours may vary. Stevia is also a good choice, and you may want to use a vanilla flavored stevia in that case. I love the contrast of the flavors in this candy. The peanut butter lends a slight salty bite, and the coconut is creamy and delish. Chocolate speaks for itself.

Remember to keep these chilled. On hot days, coconut oil will melt quickly. On cooler days, they do just fine in my bento box where they are protected. I limit myself to 2 a day. These really take care of any sweet cravings. Today is my youngest son's 20th birthday. These are my only sweet treat. Good enough. I do kinda miss the days of the big birthday parties, but I don't miss baking those cakes and sorting a dozen little boys!

Remember to watching for bigger news coming soon.

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Browned Butter Asparagus

As promised, the recipe for the delicious asparagus my mom and I dined on last Wednesday for our girls lunch. There are lots of ways to do asparagus, but I have often found myself a little perplexed as how to get the base parts tender without turning the tips to mush. I know to trim them, but I hate cutting off too much. When I grill or roast, it seems the ends stay a little woody. This method worked for me. Tender but not mushy.

The boiling broth tenderizes the ends, and adds flavor too. Then top it off with some browned butter and it is delish! I adore browned butter! This dish is the best of spring.

Browned Butter Asparagus

1 bunch fresh asparagus, about 3/4 lb
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter

Wash and trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Heat a small skillet with the chicken broth. When simmering, add the asparagus. Braise until just tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the asparagus into a serving bowl and set aside. Pour the broth off, saving it for soup. Melt the butter in the skillet. Stir it gently over a medium temperature until it begins to brown. Cook until most of the butter takes on a light brown hue. Remove from heat immediately and pour over the asparagus spears. Serves 4.   70 calories  1 net carb 

We are prepping for a fundraiser garage sale for our school this weekend, so I have lots of washing and sorting still to do. I did manage to make a great new recipe today, so I will share that one later this week. Gotta run while the sun still shines!

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Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Not my regular Diner fare. This lunch was shared with my mom today--a girly meal. I don't do many of those. She supplied the fresh rosemary and the asparagus. I supplied the salmon and did the cooking. Not being the biggest fish eaters, we decided a flavorful glaze was in order. I found this method  at Victory or Death in the Kitchen and decided to adapt it just a bit. As usual, I read the recipe and then headed into the kitchen to do what felt natural. Far less vinegar and lighter on the rosemary too. I didn't grill, but slightly overbaked our fillets (not the plan), but they were still pretty good. I will put the changes I will make next time into the recipe below.

I think I will post the recipe for the asparagus later, as I did a little special thing with some browned butter.  Be looking for the recipe soon--Browned Butter Braised Asparagus. Yummmmmm. Seems to me that asparagus is either too soft and mushy or still stringy at the base. This method worked.  Maybe I was paying more attention to the vegetables than the salmon. That could have something to do with overbaking a tad. Maybe just maybe. My friends know I tend to overcook everything if given the chance. Don't be telling me I burned the onions. That is the way I like them--those little crispy dark brown ends. You can keep yours lightly golden.

Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Salmon

This recipe is for 2. Feel free to multiply for more servings.

2 wild caught Salmon fillets (4 ounces each)
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 small springs of fresh rosemary

Topping:
1/2 onion
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Glaze:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

Brush salmon fillets with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place each fillet on a foil square. Top with a  sprig of rosemary. Close the foil and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven.  Open the foil packets and return to the oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes. Fish should flake at the thickest part.

While foil is baking, slice onion into slivers. Saute in olive oil until browned. Stir in vinegar and set aside. To assemble glaze, place vinegar, water and rosemary leaves in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until reduced by half. When salmon is fully cooked, remove and reserve the rosemary sprig and place each fillet in the saucepan to coat with glaze. Plate the fish and top with onions. Place the reserved rosemary sprig on top and serve.

205 calories     6.5 net carbs

My mom's friend offered up the rosemary from her large potted plant that mom swore was as big as the landscaping bushes. Wouldn't that be nice to have!? We are having a freeze tonight. Because I was thinking of getting a large rosemary bush for my mom for Mother's Day--do any of you know how these large plants survive freezing? I certainly don't want her trying to haul it inside for winter. I don't have a green thumb, so I really don't know these things. In the mean time, she also brought some thyme. What shall I do with that? I felt bad that I hadn't started anything out in my pots. Now that the next two nights are freezing temperatures, I don't feel so guilty.  Brr.

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Sunflower Chocolate Muffins

With last Sunday being Easter, I didn't manage any prep cooking. Today, I am working double time! Already got our breakfast casserole and batch of muffins made for breakfasts this week. Made some sandwich wraps, egg salad and pepperoni chips and cheese crisps for lunches. I have the carne picada in the oven for our Triple Play meal this week--it will become Mexican, Asian and barbecue dishes. I still need to make the salad and prep some Minute Beef. I wanted to take the time to share these muffins before heading back into the kitchen.

I am currently out of almond flour, and I am a little tired of coconut flour muffins. I know Honeyville is having a sale right now, and I really wanted to order some, but it is just not in the budget. I do still have some raw sunflower seeds. My mom made some delicious cookies with ground sunflower seeds, but I know that combined with baking powder, you can get a green baked good. I don't know the exact chemistry of it all, but I really didn't want green muffins. The best anecdote? Cover any potential problem with chocolate. Come to think of it, that works well with all sorts of problems!

So I grabbed my trusty Ninja and made a batch of fluffy Sunflower Seed Flour. You could use a food processor or high end blender. (If you have one of those I am officially jealous) These muffins do have a flavor that is different from almond flour. If you like sunflower seeds, that shouldn't be a problem. The texture is light and fluffy. It is almost like a chocolate nut flavored muffin...with no nuts.  We liked these, and the sunflower seed flour has a couple distinct advantages over almond flour. First, it is cheaper by far. Second, these are seeds, so the flour is technically nut free too. I think I will do some more experimentation. This recipe could be adapted using different fats, and any sweetener you like. You might even prefer half almond and half sunflower seed flour. One cup of seeds makes one cup of flour. That is easy.

What is not easy is finding one source that agrees on the carb profile. My Mastercook program is having trouble today recognizing this. It seems to give the same numbers for flour and seeds still in the shell? I certainly don't trust that one, but then it also seems to give me an extra high carb number on almond flour. Imperfect software, I suppose. From what I can see from various sources, the carbs are very close to those of almond flour, so use accordingly. I don't know of any place that sells the flour pre-ground. Woohoo. Another chore to do from scratch, you say. You decide if it is worth it. If you think so, you might want to go all the way and soak and dehydrate the seeds first. I am not going there, so we will take our chances. It is either this or he will resort to Little Debbie.

Chocolate Sunflower Muffins

2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup erythritol OR equivalent sweetener
2 tsp baking soda
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp liquid stevia OR sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup
Glaze:
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp powdered erythritol
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp butter, softened

In a food processor or blender, grind raw sunflower seeds into a flour. Be careful not to process too long, or you may get a nut butter. In a medium bowl, combine sunflower seed flour, erythritol, and baking soda. In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Add stevia and stir to blend. Add eggs to the chocolate mixture, beating one egg in at a time.Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Spoon batter into 12 baking cups, filling 2/3's full. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The tops will crack. Remove from oven when centers are set. Let cool.

To make glaze, blend cocoa powder, erythritol and hot water until smooth. Stir in softened butter and stir until butter is incorporated. Dip the tops of 6 muffins into the glaze, and drizzle the glaze over the remaining muffins. If you prefer, double the glaze recipe. Dip all the muffin tops and use the remaining glaze on as a topping for ice cream or strawberries.
140 calories each    14 g fat    1.2 net carbs

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