Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

In case you haven't been on social media, or in a Starbucks, or  just out in the world, I would like to notify you that it is fall. Any although it has been over 90 degrees here in Southern California, I wanted to get into the spirit so I baked up some delicious treats! I used a blend of almond and oat flour, which I really liked. The almond flour allows it to get a bit crispy and the oat flour gives it some substance.  For the chocolate, make sure you chop up a chocolate bar, and don't just use chocolate chips. It makes a big difference.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Melted Butter or Oil
• 2/3 cup Sweetness (sugar, maple syrup)
• 1/2 cup all natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla
•  2 1/2 cups Flour (I used 1 c oat flour, and 1 1/2 c almond meal)
• 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Coconut
• Dark Chocolate Chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In medium bowl, add and blend Butter, Sugar, Peanut Butter, Egg and Vanilla.
   
3. Blend in Flour.
4. Add optional ingredients.
    
    5. Using measuring tablespoon drop by spoonful about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
     
   6. Using fork make criss-cross marks on cookie.
   7. Bake for 10 minutes. Should be slightly brown on edges.
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Enjoy!

Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

Back on my "creating dinner recipes" grind! The only thing to keep in mind for this is that you'll want the meat to marinate for 15 minutes to an hour. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful it is. So maybe don't start cooking when you're already hangry... Leave yourself a little time and you won't regret it!

Ingredients: 

1 lb Chicken

3 Baby BokChoy

Green Onion

2 1/2 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 1/2 Tbs Sesame oil

1 Tbs Minced Ginger

Cilantro

Directions:

1. Combine Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil ad Ginger with Chicken. Mix Well and leave in fridge for 15 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.

2. Chop Baby BokChoy and Green Onions.

3. Cook Chicken in Large skillet. 

4. Remove chicken and lightly cook BokChoy and Green Onions (til leaves start wilting)

5. Toss Chicken back in and Mix well. 

6. Plate on top of rice, garnish with soy sauce and Cilantro. Enjoy!

Yummy Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

      Ever since I started the low fodmap diet I've wanted to create a wheat free oatmeal cookies, and now I've finally got a recipe that I think deserves to be shared with you guys! The recipe does make 4 dozen cookies, so share, or don't, but don't be surprised.

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 1 c Raisins (1/2 c Raisins, 1/2 c Dried Cranberries)
• 1 tps Vanilla
• 1 c Butter
• 1 c Brown Sugar
• 1 c White Sugar
• 2 ¹⁄₂ c Almond Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 c Oatmeal

1. Combine Raisins, eggs and vanilla and pop in the fridge for 1 hour. This may seem silly, but it is SUPER important for keeping the mixture moist and ending up with great chewy cookies!

 2. Combine sugars and butter. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

 3. Cream sugars and butter

 4. Add Dry ingredients and egg mixture and mix well.

 5. Add Oatmeal and mix well.
6. Dole out tablespoon sized dollops onto non greased trays.
7. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes, until browned at edges.
8. Enjoy!

Extra things to add: Chocolate, coconut, other dried fruits
Note: this can be made with normal wheat flour if you're not trying to stay wheat free

Citrus Berry Crumble for One

     SO many berries, so little time. As a result I've had quite a few go bad or soft or wrinkly. So here's an easy way to use them! I've been playing with this recipe for the last week and I think I finally like this one best.

Crumble:
Half a Lemon
Handful of Berries
Sprinkle of Sugar

Topping:
1 Tbs Coconut Oil
1 Tbs Almond Flour
1 Tbs Oats
1 tps Brown Sugar


1. Place one thin slice of lemon with skin removed in the bottom of the ramekin

2. Wash blueberries and put them in the ramukin
3. Sprinkle with sugar and mix them up

4. On a seperate plate mix Coconut oil, Almond flour, Oats and Brown Sugar until well combined

5. Crumble over blueberries

6. Top with a little sprinkle of Sugar
7. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until you see purple liquid bubbling up around the sides.

8. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes and top with any yumminess!

Summer time Sweetness

     Summer fruit is so delicious! But so many of them are full of the sugars that don't make our tummies as happy as possible. And that's the last thing you want as you're flying down and slip-and-slide!  So here's a little info on the summer fruits that will keep your tummy happy (in moderation) and still let you enjoy all the sweetness of summer!! Along with a fun easy treat to make!

     As a general rule, stay away from stone fruits, or fruits with a pit in the center (peach, plum, cherry, nectarine). This is the hardest thing for me personally, because these fruits are really only good during the summer.  Berries are easy, because you only have to steer clear of blackberries and boysenberries. So feel free to do all the blueberry, strawberry, raspberry picking you like! Although you should avoid watermelon, but you can embrace cantaloupe and honeydew! If you live in an area where you can get tropical fruits, get excited! Pineapple, starfruit and passionfruit are all fair game! So although you may have to miss out on a few summer fruits, you may get an excuse to try some new ones.
     Just something to keep in mind, all fruits are full of fiber and sugar, which isn't a bad thing. But if you shock your system with more than you typically have there could be... adverse events... Everything in moderation!
    Now on to a sweet treat!

1 Melon
Some yogurt (I like plain)
Drizzle of Maple Syrup
A few Berries
Granola

1. Cut and scoop the melon

2. Fill it with yogurt

3. Tops with granola, berries and syrup
4. Enjoy the delicious!

Stacks on Stacks of Yum, thanks to Trader Joes!

I ate 3 of these plates, so watch out!

  New treat for you guys! Trader Joes has just come out with a gluten free waffle and pancake mix, and it's actually low FODMAP! It doesn't contain any soy, which apparently is remarkable, because almost all gluten free products do. Personally I'm usually not a fan of store bought gluten free products.  By the time you've mixed together 15 different flours and powders, it doesn't taste anything like the real thing.  TJs stick to a few basic ingredients and the results are great.

   And yes, I realized that I could go to the store and buy potato flower, rice flower, oat flower, almond flower, tapioca starch and mix them all together in a specific ratio, but do I really want to do that? No. (Plus tapioca starch is like 12$ for an ounce, are you kidding me?)

All you need

    Basically, they're super delicious, although a bit cakey.  I added a 1/2c water, instead of 1/4c, as suggested to make them more like "crepes", but I think you could even do 3/4.

 Add the wet ingredients, and mix in the pancake mix. And scoop them out!

Golden Goodness

   This is what the exact amount listed on the box makes, so if you've got a couple gluten free lovers, I suggest making a few servings.

Top with any lovely summer fruit or nut butters or maple syrup or powdered sugar and gobble them up! Well actually, you may want to savor them because they're pretty good.

Nice job TJs!

Pad Thai Party

There are so many Pad Thai recipes out there, but I haven't quite found one I like, so I took the best parts of each and made my own.  And I have to say, I'm pretty proud. Also, yes, it is low FODMAP, and I've been playing around with a vegetarian/ vegan version, so that'll be all the way at the bottom.

Pad Thai Ingredients:
7 oz Pad Thai Rice Noodles
8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 small Zucchini julienne
1 large Carrot julienne
1 Tbs Ginger, minced
2 Tbs garlic infused olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce Ingredients:
2 Tbs Peanut Butter
1 Tbs Soy Sauce (gluten free if needed)
1 Tbs red Thai curry paste (often contains some garlic & onion find a recipe for a homemade version with none here)
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
A few drops of Fish Sauce (trust me, a little goes a long way)

Toppings:
Mung Bean Sprouts
Cilantro
Chopped Peanuts
Lime
Green Onion

Hint: Get as all as of the ingredients prepared  before you turn on the stove.  Most of the time spent on this recipe is in prep, and you don't want to overcook this, or you will end up with a mushy rice ball.

1. Heat oil in skillet.  Add Chicken.
2.  Cook noodles as the box instructs.  Remove them when they are a bit undercooked.  Run under cold water and drain.
3. Add veggies, garlic olive oil and ginger to the pan with chicken. Cook until veggies are "al dente", basically when the zucchini starts to turn neon green.
   
   My sister got me this great little tool for slicing up veggies nice and thin! (find yours here, or at any cooking store)
   
   
4. In a small bowl combine sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, red curry paste, brown sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Mix well.
5. Add noodles and sauce to pan with chicken and veggies.  Turn off heat and Mix quickly. DON'T OVER COOK THE NOODLES! (sorry, but rice noodles are super gross when they get cooked too long)
6. Scoop into a bowl and garnish as you please.

Vegetarian/ Vegan hints:
Take out the chicken and double the veggies.  Don't add the fish sauce to the sauce. It's still super delicious.

Reheating:
Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a pan, toss in your leftovers.  Remove and garnish.  Don't use the microwave, unless you're determined to find out how gross overcooked rice noodles are.


Enjoy!!