A Clean Bake

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Get ready for a lot of chocolate this week. Not just any chocolate, but two recipes that call for multiple forms of chocolate, and produce treats that should come with some sort of warning label: caution: not for beginners. This overload of chocolatey deliciousness was a total fluke, because the uncertainty of the kitchen renovation* long ago forced me to totally cut ties with my trusty editorial calendar, so these days I'm back to cooking and baking what I feel like and what befits the season, ... Read More about Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Grain Free Chocolate Pizzelles (with Simple Mills)

These cookies are a litmus test: if you grew up with an Italian grandmother, you're probably nodding your head like "oh, yeah pizzelles". But if you didn't have the privilege, you are probably squinting at these pictures trying to figure out how I got my waffles so thin. Or maybe you know what pizzelles are, but you never knew the name for them. Either way, come on in, take a seat, and allow me to offer you a stack of these crispy, light, and terrifically addictive cookies. Though not ... Read More about Grain Free Chocolate Pizzelles (with Simple Mills)

Chocolate-Dipped Grain Free Shortbread (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Made with just a few simple ingredients, these low carb, grain free classic cookies are everything shortbread should be! Let the cookie bonanza begin! It's about time, don't you think, in that we've had an entire week to digest our turkey and stuffing and pie. Some might say an onslaught of holiday cookies is long overdue. Fair warning: we're pretty much doing sweets for the rest of the month (maybe a few savories in there, for balance, but really, balance is for January). To get ... Read More about Chocolate-Dipped Grain Free Shortbread (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad with Cranberries, Pistachios, and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

I've been making this roasted carrot salad for just about every dinner party and holiday meal for years, and it is always a crowd pleaser! It's hearty, naturally gluten free, and can be made paleo, Whole30, and dairy free by leaving out the cheese. Now that I have a working oven again, I have almost nothing but sweets planned for the month of December. Or, at least, I did... until this salad. There is no rhyme or reason to where this salad came from, but I was just doing one of those ... Read More about Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad with Cranberries, Pistachios, and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

15 Minute Cranberry Sauce (Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, and Vegan)

This is the ultimate last minute Thanksgiving recipe: five ingredients (one of which is water), one pot, 15 minutes, minimal stirring. Seriously, does it get any easier than that? Before I fully go Barefoot Contessa on you (except for the whole living-in-the-Hamptons thing, and just about everything else about her perfect, stress free life; Ina would NEVER be planning her Thanksgiving menu 72 hours before the dinner), let's set the scene: it's 24 hours before Thanksgiving dinner and ... Read More about 15 Minute Cranberry Sauce (Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, and Vegan)

Grain Free Stuffing / Dressing (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Grain free stuffing is exactly what you need to complete your paleo Thanksgiving table! It's made with my grain free sandwich bread (low carb blender version here). With the crispy top and the soft, moist interior that you expect from a stuffing, it is just as satisfying as the "real" thing. I wasn't sure if I was going to get this recipe in under the wire but my new oven was installed just in the nick of time. Aren't we excited? Or is just The Royal We (i.e. me) excited? Don't answer ... Read More about Grain Free Stuffing / Dressing (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Low Carb Hot Cereal with Chocolate and Nut Butter (Faux-tmeal 3.0) (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Low carb cereal served hot: the perfect start to a cold day! Stir in chocolate and your favorite nut or seed butter to make an amazing paleo-friendly breakfast. It takes 3 minutes to make, and it fills you up and warms your belly just like oatmeal - but without the gluten or grains! Yes, another variety of hot, grain free and low carb cereal! I thought it was worth it, though, because who doesn't like chocolate and peanut (or your nut or seed of choice) butter for breakfast. Or, really, ... Read More about Low Carb Hot Cereal with Chocolate and Nut Butter (Faux-tmeal 3.0) (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Paleo Oatmeal with Apples & Cinnamon (Faux-tmeal 2.0) (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Paleo oatmeal: does that sound like a contradiction in terms to you? It's not! There are no grains in this recipe; just a hearty, warming bowl of faux-tmeal (<-- get it?) bursting with warm fall flavors of apples and cinnamon!  Another paleo oatmeal?? You may be wondering why this variation of grain free hot cereal merits an entire new post, instead of just a list of possible add-ins and variations on the original version. Well, the short answer is that I thought about doing ... Read More about Paleo Oatmeal with Apples & Cinnamon (Faux-tmeal 2.0) (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Faux-tmeal (Grain Free Hot Cereal) (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Grain free hot cereal takes 3 minutes to make and it fills you up and warms your belly just like oatmeal - but without the grains! When the weather is warm, it's easy to eat quick, grain-free foods, especially for breakfast: hard boiled eggs and cut veggies are a great way to start the day (the Turks do it right, don't they?). But the cold weather makes it tough enough to coax yourself out of bed, and the only thing that makes you believe you can ever be warm again is the promise of a ... Read More about Faux-tmeal (Grain Free Hot Cereal) (Gluten Free and Paleo)

A Week of Make-Ahead Paleo Freezer Dinners

I'm starting to really miss cooking. There's nothing more calming at the end of a busy day - to me, anyway - than putting together a nice, but non-fussy meal that tastes great and leaves you feeling relaxed and satisfied. Unfortunately, that one-calming task has been super stressful lately with lots of travel, work deadlines, wedding excitement (a friend's, not mine, although mine and my husband's first anniversary was in there too), and, of course, the mounting chaos of the ongoing renovation. ... Read More about A Week of Make-Ahead Paleo Freezer Dinners