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Granola Butter Twix Cups

10/29/2020

I am over the freaking moon. I cannot believe how good these little treats are!! First and foremost - there are no peanuts or tree nuts. I used my girl @AvoKween's vanilla granola butter which is honestly the best thing a person with a nut allergy could ever ask for. It can replace almost all nut butters in most recipes and it's freaking delicious. To firm up the consistency in order to make the 'caramel' part of the twix cup, I added pureed dates to the granola butter which helped hold the middle layer up a bit better than if I were to just use the melty granola butter.

So, these granola butter 'twix' cups are naturally sweetened with a lil maple syrup + they are gluten free, grain free, dairy free and peanut allergy friendly. Amazing.

Also, I almost ALWAYS forget to add flakey sea salt to any chocolate that I melt and put on things so if you're less forgetful than me I would def add some right before you stick them in the fridge to cool.

What you need:

3/4 cup coconut flour
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vanilla granola butter
1 cup melted dark chocolate I used HU Kitchen gems

What to do:

Combine the coconut flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl and mix to form the "dough". It should be pretty dry but should stick together when you press it.
Divide the dough equally into 8 muffin tin cups that have been lined with parchment paper. (You want this layer to be about half an inch thick - the ones in my photos I did a little too thick.) Bake for 8 minutes at 350 F - they should be slightly golden brown.
While the coconut flour layer is baking, pulse the dates, water and granola butter in a food processor for a minute or two until you've created a paste. It should be thick but pourable - adjust the amount of water if you need.
Pour the date and granola paste on top of the coconut flour crusts.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for 30 second increments until it's smooth and pour equal layers on top of the date and granola paste.
Stick them in the freezer for an hour before eating. Keep cool in the fridge.

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Lemon and Arugula Pesto Pasta

10/27/2020

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Peanut and tree nut free pesto!!

It's also packed with all the green things and that's always a plus! I used arugula, spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. The whole arugula leaves you see mixed in there are coated in a super simple vinaigrette recipe so there's an extra little vinegar kick in the dish from the white wine vinegar I used too!!

What you need:

1/2 box of pasta (I used Joval Foods brown rice penne pasta - makes 2 entrees or 3 side dishes)
3 handfuls of spinach (about 2 cups, completely packed)
1 handful of fresh basil (about 1 cup, completely packed)
2-6 garlic cloves (I love garlic so I usually do 3 or 4 cloves.)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (I usually do 1/2 tsp of each)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (separate portion as listed above)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar (not white vinegar)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 handfuls of arugula (about 1 measuring cup, completely packed)

What to do:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta cooks, put the spinach, basil, garlic, parm and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse for about a minute and slowly pour in the EVOO as you go. It should turn into a paste. More EVOO will loosen things up a bit and more parmesan cheese will thicken things up a bit so feel free to adjust! Season with salt and pepper after tasting.
Pour the EVOO, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt/pepper into a container with a lid and shake up to make a simple vinaigrette dressing.
Pour the vinaigrette over the arugula and toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain it and run cool water over it so that it's not piping hot. (This will melt the cheese in the pesto which you don't want!)
Add the pesto to the pasta and mix to combine. You can either mix the arugula leaves into the pasta or serve the pesto pasta over the arugula leaves on a plate and combine while eating! Up to you!
Top with parmesan and lemon zest before serving.

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Vodka Sauce

10/26/2020

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UGH. Vodka sauce. This is by far my most popular recipe and it's suuuuper easy to make and pretty much foolproof so that's why I think everyone loves it so much.

I started making this a few years ago and I think my favorite part about the recipe I originally developed is that there are several different ways to customize it depending on whatever I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I like it spicy, sometimes I like it to be less cream-heavy, sometimes I'm avoiding dairy in general so I eat it a vegan version of it!! So I'll list below the different ways that I love to make it and let you decide which version you're feeling.

Spicy Vodka Sauce
Depending on how much heat you can tolerate, you can add in crushed red pepper flakes or a spoonful or two of Calabrian chili paste at the same time as you add the tomato paste in the beginning.

Vodka Sauce Sans Vodka
You can replace the vodka in the recipe with white wine! I've even seen a dear friend make and love it with gin! Also, if for whatever reason you cannot have any alcohol you can replace the vodka with broth!

Cheesy Vodka Sauce
Add freshly grated parmesan cheese once the cream has been added to the skillet. I would say 1/4 - 1/2 cup. Melting cheese into the sauce can also help thicken it up if you accidentally add too much cream or pasta water.

Gluten Free Vodka Sauce
The sauce is naturally gluten free! So just use brown rice pasta! My favorite is Jovial Foods brown rice pasta or Taste Republic fresh pasta. Can hardly tell the difference between both brand's pasta and regular pasta that's full of gluten.

Bulkier Vodka Sauce
Add diced shallot or onion in with the butter at the beginning and then add a cup or so of crushed tomatoes in after the tomato paste is brick red! This gives the dish a bit more texture and the flavor of the onions with the flavor of garlic that's already in there is really great.

Vegan Vodka Sauce
A few different ways to make this version - coconut cream added in at the very end (it tends to separate the sauce if it's in there and over heat for too long.) I have also used oat milk creamer (Nut Pods brand) which works nicely too since their creamer is a bit thicker than regular oat milk.

Lighter Vodka Sauce
This is one of my favorite versions. I replace half of the cream with veggie or chicken broth. And actually, you can go as far as replacing half of the half of cream that's left with oat milk creamer. So you end up with 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup oat milk and then 1/2 cup broth. I would combine all the liquid together and add it in 1/2 cup at a time just like the recipe calls for with the full portion of cream.

What you need:

1/2 box pasta (around 1/2 lb, enough for two large portions or three side dishes)
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
1 oz (2 tbsp plain vodka)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (has to be heavy, light or regular cream won't work as well.)
1/4 cup reserved pasta water

What to do:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
In a large skillet on medium heat, melt the butter and add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook until the paste is brick red in color.
Add the vodka and whisk. (The boozy taste and flavor of the vodka will evaporate here.)
After about 3-5 minutes of evaporating and cooking, add half of the cream and whisk. Turn the heat to simmer while you bring it to a bubble.
Add the rest of the cream and whisk again. Bring to a low bubble on the lowest heat setting and let simmer until the pasta is done cooking. (You can add more cream if you want it saucier - I usually start off with a cup and see how it looks.)
The sauce can get super thick while simmering so I like to add in around 1/4 cup of the salty/starchy pasta water to loosen things up and create an extra silky texture.
Add the pasta to the sauce, combine and serve hot.

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Buttered Noochles

10/15/2020

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This pasta is freaking amazing and one of my fave simple dairy-free "cheesy buttery" pasta sauces. It's made from just oat milk creamer, vegan butter, garlic powder and nutritional yeast. If you love cheese and dairy but can't eat either or are trying to cut back - this will be your new bestie.

Two things:

First, if you don't salt the water you cook the pasta in, the finished product may need a little salt. Second, don't get oat milk and oat milk creamer confused. I'm not so sure if regular oat milk would work since the creamer is a little more thick. Here's the oat milk creamer I use. (I buy it online because I can only find their almond oat milk creamer at stores and I'm allergic to almonds.) And honestly, if you're in a pinch you could just add the vegan butter, garlic powder and nooch to the hot pasta in a bowl and eat it that way - no skillet or sauce prep required and suuuuper fast! Been there, done that.

I love pairing it with a fun pasta shape. If I'm using brown rice pasta I use these shells, if I'm using regular pasta, I use this cannolicchi.

What you need:

1/2 lb pasta of choice
2 tbsp vegan butter (I use Earth Balance or Melt Organic)
3/4 cup oat milk creamer (I use Nut Pods)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder

What to do:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for as long as the packaging says.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium sized skillet on medium heat and add the oat milk creamer to it.
Once the oat milk and butter start to bubble, add in the garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Whisk to combine.
Whisk on and off while it simmers on low heat while it thickens up for around 8-10 minutes and then add the pasta to it. I usually top with a bit of black pepper.

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Granola Butter Twix Cups

Lemon and Arugula Pesto Pasta

Vodka Sauce

Buttered Noochles

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