AIP Pumpkin Pie and Crust: Baked Version (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Egg Free)

I am very excited to share this pie with you. Last year I posted my mini, no-bake pumpkin pies. I love those as a fun (and cute!) alternative to a regular pie and they are tasty, but this year I wanted to make a real pumpkin pie. Gluten is definitely out of the question since I discovered I can't eat it. And since I've been moving towards the autoimmune protocol (healing protocol for autoimmune disease and gut healing), I wanted to make an AIP pumpkin pie. Not an easy task! Especially for someone that prefers cooking to baking. :)

Cold Cucumber Noodle BLT Salad with Tomato Basil Vinaigrette (Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30)

I'm fairly straight and narrow when it comes to following the rules. I always wear my seat belt. I don't break any traffic laws. Well, not often. I won't cheat, not even playing Yahtzee. I feel bad when I accidentally take the bank's pen. Sorry, I didn't mean to. Sure, I've broken some rules in my days, especially in my early 20's when getting pulled over for speeding was a regular thing. Hey, I have a heavy foot... I just believe most rules are made to be kept. But, there are some that are made to be broken. Like wearing white after Labor Day. Although I don't wear white before or after.

And eating summer meals after Labor Day... Okay, so it's probably not technically a rule. Labor Day is supposed to signify the end of summer (even though it's not officially over until the end of September). The end of outdoor events and parties. And for many, the end of tomato dishes and the beginning of all things pumpkin.

I actually planned to post this before Labor Day, but...stuff happens. 

Fresh Tomato Basil Vinaigrette (Paleo, Whole30)

Summer, summer, summer time.

Time to sit back and unwind.

Just a bit of a break from the norm (were you singing along?) with this tomato basil vinaigrette. Fresh summer tomatoes are one of my favorite things. Juicy. Sweet. With just a sprinkle of salt. And lately, as a vinaigrette. With basil, of course. Because tomatoes and basil just belong together.

If you like tomatoes, I think you will love this vinaigrette.

60+ Paleo Spiralizer Recipes plus How to Avoid Buying a Counterfeit Paderno Spiral Slicer

Guess who's back...back again? Well, it's been a long time, my friends. It's been a crazy, stressful summer around here, so I apologize for not posting. I hope that you are all enjoying summer wherever you are.

A few months ago, my spiralizer broke. Since I have recommended this spiralizer before, especially to those of you on Facebook, I figured I should tell you guys what I found out. I purchased (what I thought was) the Paderno vegetable spiral slicer back in September, but at the end of May (after only using it a few times a month), part of the handle broke. Turns out it was a counterfeit unit (purchased through Amazon, but sold by another seller).

I also scoured the Internet for spiralizer recipes from many talented bloggers. For those of you that already have a spiralizer or plan to get one, I didn't want to leave you hanging without recipes to use this thing. It only took me a few months to put this together. ;-)

So...after contacting the company, Paderno World Cuisine, this is what I learned from the CEO:

Tangy Marinated Slaw, No-Mayo (Paleo, Autoimmune Protocol, Whole30)

Cabbage has always been one of those vegetables that I have tried to learn to love many different times. But no matter what I do with it, even trying the undoubtedly delicious (for most) World's Best Braised Cabbage from Nom Nom Paleo, it's just not my favorite thing. Yet, over St. Patrick's Day weekend, I found myself with five, maybe six, heads of cabbage. I'm a sucker for a deal and at 39 cents a pound, I may have gone just a little overboard. Just a little. Don't worry, I only hoard cabbage (and avocados).

 

Dark Chocolate Mints (Healthy Andes Copycat)

I will fight for an Andes Mint. Not even joking. Not a throw-down, fists-up kind of fight. Not even a hair-pulling, nail-breaking fight (well, maybe). But...

When the server sets those mints on the edge of the table, all bets are off. First come, first serve. You know what I'm talking about. Okay, so I don't eat at this particular establishment anymore. But when I did, it was mostly for the mints. Never mind that I could just buy the mints from the store. Apparently there was something special about the ones you receive after chowing down on bread sticks.

Keep reading or print recipe here.

Carrot Top Pesto (nut-free) with Roasted Carrots

I didn't always like cooked carrots. My first memories are of those mushy, boiled ones. Probably from a can. They made their appearance at home and were a regular feature in school lunches. That was when my strong dislike for cooked carrots began. Once I hit adulthood, I was free. No more cooked carrots for me. Even when I moved into my first apartment and begin cooking everyday, carrots were off the menu. The blurry memory of sitting at the dinner table with nothing but carrots left on my plate was enough to make me swear them off forever.

Or so I thought...

It wasn't until I started following paleo over a year ago that I decided to try out roasted carrots. I was roasting every other vegetable known to man (I like to exaggerate), so there was no reason to leave out the carrot. At first, I sliced them and tossed them with coconut oil and cumin. They were divine and I was hooked. No mushy carrots are welcome here. But, although these roasted carrots are delicious on their own, this recipe isn't really about the carrots...

No Bake Mini AIP Pumpkin Pies with Coconut Whipped Cream (Paleo, Autoimmune Protocol, GAPS)

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me post about a pumpkin recipe a few weeks months ago. I started working on this back in August or September (and neglected to take pictures until recently) and it took some time to get these as I imagined them. When I have an idea for creating desserts that are allergy-friendly and I have to try to make them. I'm a little obsessed. I'm also obsessed with mini desserts. See here and here. This recipe actually started as somewhat of a pumpkin fudge. I was making this almond butter fudge and decided to try it with pumpkin. It tasted similar to a pumpkin pie, but then I decided that I wanted to create something that really was like pumpkin pie. But without eggs and nuts, and of course without gluten and dairy. A perfect and fun substitute for traditional pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving!

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri (Paleo, Autoimmune, Whole30)

So...I love a good steak. Cauliflower steak, of course.

I'm kidding. I actually really, really love a good steak. But a steak is rare around here. (Actually, I take mine medium.) Steak is really not in my budget unless I catch a good deal. So today, we are replacing beef steaks with cauliflower steaks. They are really good and I love the way they look on a plate. Serve them along side some crispy chicken thighs (if you choose to eat meat, of course).

The best part about cauliflower steaks -- much less mess. Am I the only one that cuts a cauliflower into florets and finds tiny pieces all over the kitchen for a week?  How do they get across the room like that?

Chimichurri (Paleo, Autoimmune, Whole30)

This chimichurri recipe goes along with post for Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri. To serve with cauliflower steaks, find the full post here.

Chimichurri
Makes approximately 1 cup 

What you need:

1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup finely chopped)
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  (more if needed)
2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar*
1 tbsp lemon juice (or additional vinegar)
2-4 cloves garlic (I use 4)
1/2 tsp cumin (optional, omit for AIP)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt, to taste
1/8 - 1/4 pepper, to taste (omit for AIP)

How to make:

By hand:  First, wash and dry your herbs. Mince the garlic, sprinkle it with salt, then crush it with the flat side of your knife. Alternatively, you can use a zester/grater (This is the zester/grater I use). You may use less garlic as desired -- I use 3 or 4 cloves. Remove thick stems from herbs and finely chop the leaves of the parsley, cilantro, then oregano. In a non reactive bowl or mason jar, mix together the garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, cumin, and herbs. Pour in the olive oil (add more if need to cover the herbs). Add salt and pepper to preference. I use 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Adjust flavors and add more oil if desired.

Food processor: Add everything except for oil to food processor and pulse until you reach desired consistency. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl or mason jar and pour oil over mixture. Add more and adjust flavors as desired.

Let stand for about 20 minutes at room temp. If you make ahead, bring to room temp before serving. This can be refrigerated for several weeks. Serve with cauliflower steaks or regular steaks or anything else desired (you can use it as a marinade as well).


To serve with Roasted Cauliflower Steaks, here is the full recipe.


I purchase most my pantry items from Vitacost in order to save money. If you are a new customer to Vitacost, you can save $10 off your first order using my refer-a-friend link here)


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, while your costs remain the same, Livin' the Crunchy Life will receive a small commission. Affiliate links are used to pay for any blog costs, including ingredients for recipe development. I appreciate your support!

Crispy Avocado Fried Egg with Yolk Only Option (Egg in a Basket)

There were two motivations behind this recipe. I'm not really sure I can call it a recipe. It's more of an idea, I guess. A few months ago, my sister was testing out possible allergens to determine the cause of her child's severe eczema. So the main reason for this idea was for my niece. She had a possible sensitivity to egg whites, so I wanted to create some way for her to consume egg yolks. I wanted something easy, but also something she would really enjoy. (She wasn't having any issues eating gently washed egg yolks.)

Making Mayo by Hand with Recipe for Coconut-Ghee Mayonnaise (plus tips for broken mayo)

The first time I made mayonnaise, it was a disaster. I tried to use the immersion blender method that so many others love. It didn't work for me. I'll never use an immersion blender again (for mayo). [Update: I finally purchased a Cuisinart immersion blender and it works beautifully for mayo!] So...after many, many months, I decided to try again. This time I wasn't going to take my chances with any blender method (my regular bender and food processor don't have the option to pour in the top so they won't work anyway), so I decided to pull out the big guns. My big guns, of course.

Hand-beaten mayonnaise.

Instant Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (Banana Soft Serve)

My pumpkin consumption usually only involves pumpkin pie. Lots of pumpkin pie. (Last year, I made it using this crust from Mark's Daily Apple and it was delicious.) But...this "ice cream" might just change my mind. I'm putting pumpkin in everything from now on. (I'm kidding. But after eating this for several weeks, I'm tempted.)

Citrus-Herb Chicken Kabobs

While I don't have my own kids (yet), I'm always trying to make sure my nieces and nephews know that real food can be delicious (and not taste like lunch room food). Most of them are pretty adventurous and are willing to try the majority of the food I make or eat. They've tasted my roasted seaweed and kombucha. (They are now obsessed with seaweed. "Spicy" ginger kombucha, not so much.) They tasted and loved my kale chips and molten chocolate brownie. Some of the normal food stuff, like different types of chicken and fried zucchini coins, is a little harder to get them to try. It's new and weird. Chicken is usually a win but the zucchini coins needed to be very thin and crispy for those to be devoured.

Crispy Grain-Free Zucchini Coins with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

This is not something I eat often. Maybe once year, at the end zucchini season. I eat a lot of zucchini during the summer, many different ways (like this pasta). Then every once in awhile, I fry it (or you can bake it). It's so good, but I make a huge mess when I make it. The breading mixture ends up everywhere. Everywhere. It's just one of those things. I can't help it. I used to make it with panko bread crumbs (something I really miss), but since I can't eat gluten anymore, I knew almond flour would be a great replacement. There is a crispiness you get from almond flour that you just can't get from coconut flour.

Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)

A simple dipping sauce made with roasted red peppers, garlic, onion, and spices. Try it with my Crispy Grain-free Zucchini Coins.


Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

makes about 1/2 cup

What you need:

1 red bell pepper, roasted (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 medium onion, diced (or 1/4 tsp onion powder)
1-2 cloves garlic (I use 2)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
small handful fresh parsley
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
pinch black pepper
2-4 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
1/4 cup coconut milk (more to taste)

How to make:

To roast red peppers (make extra and freeze them), check out this tutorial with four different methods for roasting. (I roasted mine on the grill.) If you don't want to roast peppers, you can use jarred roasted red peppers. Process all ingredients, except for coconut milk, in a food processor until smooth. Heat over low heat and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. After simmering, mix in coconut milk. Serve warm or cold (I serve it warm).

Alternatively, you can cook diced onions in a saucepan until soft and translucent. Then process all ingredients except for the broth until smooth. (If you use onion powder instead, just process all ingredients.) Serve warm or cold.

*For best taste, I recommend simmering the sauce.


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, while your costs remain the same, Livin' the Crunchy Life will receive a small commission. Affiliate links are used to pay for any blog costs, including ingredients for recipe development. I appreciate your support!

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles and Spinach (Gluten Free, AIP, Paleo)

There was this pasta dish I used to make often -- back when I ate pasta. It involved butter (eh, I probably used margarine back then), wine, tomatoes, garlic, shrimp, and of course, pasta. I actually rarely eat shrimp anymore (I'm all about sardines now), but I wanted to try to recreate this dish. I started out making it with zucchini noodles and it was very good. But I decided to leave out the tomatoes and wine (and just drink it instead) to reduce the time it takes to make this. I'm all about the quick and easy lately. Instead I added some herbs and baby spinach. Feel free to adjust garlic and lemon to taste.

(By the way, did you know you can freeze lemon juice. Just defrost the cubes as needed.)

Homemade Tangy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

My freezer is full of barbecue sauce and your Google search for BBQ sauce gets that much harder...

I hesitated to post a BBQ sauce recipe...well, because there are plenty of them. And people can be very particular about their barbecue sauce. But here you go. I figured after posting these Double Bacon BBQ Burgers that I had to post a BBQ sauce (I actually made the burgers because I was testing this sauce and needed something to use it for). I couldn't just leave you in the grocery aisle alone, searching through the hundreds of bottles of barbecue sauce. High fructose corn syrup. Corn starch. Corn syrup. Caramel color. Modified food starch (what, the what?). You get the point. One bottle I read was a special family, contest-winning, recipe. And the first ingredient -- high fructose corn syrup. 

Double Bacon BBQ Burgers with BBQ Avocado Sauce and Caramelized Onions

Bacon. Beef. Barbecue sauce. With their powers combined, I present you with...Captain Burger.

Okay, not really. But what we do have is... Double Bacon BBQ Burgers.

Because what do you do when you have way too much barbecue sauce (recipe coming soon)? Well, you put in on and in everything you make. Of course. BBQ burgers are nothing new. Even BBQ bacon burgers have been done before. I actually started out with just a bbq burger and stuffed it with avocado (ala Civilized Caveman), but then...bacon.

Chocolate Truffle Cake from Indulge: 70 Grain Free Desserts

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me rave about a coffee cake I made using a recipe by Carol Lovett from the popular blog, Ditch the Wheat. The recipe came from Carol's ebook, Indulge and Carol has graciously allowed me to share a recipe from her book with you (and give a copy to one of you!). Sorry, but it is not the coffee cake. Instead, I give you this amazing Chocolate Truffle Cake. Carol says, "This cake is a cross between a chocolate truffle and a brownie. The cake is so rich only a sliver is needed to satisfy your craving."

Oh, and it is...so rich but so good.

Indulge is available right now for 20% off the normal price! Check it out here.