May 13, 2015

Paleo Blackout Chocolate Cake

May 13, 2015/ Caitlin S

It's true... I finished grad school yesterday! I’m officially a Master (not the Jedi kind, just the regular kind).

The number one question I’ve be getting over the last few months is “What are you going to do now?” which makes me feel like I should yell, “I’M GOING TO DISNEY LAND!” but that’s not at all what I’m going to do so I have refrained so far.

I don't really know what to shout, so instead I'll just go on expressing my emotions through food. This is how graduation feels right now:

Yup, as sweet as cake. Blackout Chocolate Cake, to be exact.

It's pretty rare that I'll commit to making a cake. Even though the decadence is worth the effort, it's just not practical for a household of two. We end up eating cake twice a day, every day, until it's gone (Yup, breakfast of champions...). On this occasion, I went for it anyways, because it felt monumental. Since I'm not have a graduation party, I had to live it up somehow.

As naughty as this cake looks, it can actually hold it's own on the nutrition front. Seriously, I can eat a slice of this on an empty stomach and not get a sugar rush. The frosting is super lush, but only requires three ingredients: coconut milk, chocolate, and a spoonful of coconut flour to help it reach the right consistency. The cake itself get's it's soft crumb from whipped eggs, coconut flour, and cocoa powder. If you skipped the cashew sprinkle on top, it would be totally nut free!

Paleo Blackout Chocolate Cake

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free | Caitlin Sherwood

This chocolate cake is rich and dark, but not too sweet—just the way I like it!

Yields: 1 two-layer 8-inch cake | Total Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut flour
6 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons honey, melted
3/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
9 eggs

2 cups canned coconut milk (full-fat)
1-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut flour
Optional: Chopped nuts for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 8-inch cake pans.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the cake. Set aside.
Melt the coconut oil (or butter) and honey. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, and then beat in the eggs, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture half at a time. Batter should be light and may have a few small clumps, but should be well incorporated.
Divide the batter into two 8-inch cake pans. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
Remove from oven, and set on a cool wrack for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the cakes cool, make the frosting: heat coconut milk in a small sauce pan until it simmers. Remove from heat, and add the chocolate chips. Allow the chips to melt, and then use a whisk to mix until smooth. Cover and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Remove frosting mixture from fridge. Use an electric beater to beat in 1 teaspoon of coconut flour at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Assemble the cake: run a knife around the rim of each cake pan and gently tap to loosen. Flip over, and remove cake from pan. Place first cake on serving plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting mixture over top in an even layer. Place second cake over top. Use about 3/4 cup of the frosting to apply a thin layer over frosting over entire cake--it doesn't have to be perfect, this layer is simply for patching up holes and catching crumbs. Finally, use remaining frosting to add finishing layer around entire cake. Decorate with chopped nuts.

Cake recipe inspired by Double Chocolate Cupcakes from the Urban Poser.

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March 27, 2015

Paleo Baked Salmon over Grain-Free Apricot Pilaf (AIP-Friendly)

March 27, 2015/ Caitlin S

So, Friday nights. They're for staying in an making that recipe you've been day dreaming about, right? A few weeks ago I was talking to a friend about how my Friday nights are pretty lame, usually involving some pans, some spoons, and sometimes even a spatula. Being a good friend, she told me that cooking was doing something cool with my Friday night. I rolled with it, but I know--most people probably do something more than bake up a salmon fillet and curl up on the couch to watch a movie (you know, after setting up the "set" and taking pictures).

But you know what? I get to the end of my week, and all I want to do is chill. I want to let go, and destress, and eat. And I want it to taste delicious.

Lately, fish has been my Friday night date (Well, fish and Oliver--thanks for juicing that lemon, sweetie!). Even plain and simple, baked with a bit of lemon, a well-baked salmon filet is a treat, and in my book, fit for a Friday night. It's flakey, but still juicy. It melts in your mouth, nourishing you body, but also your soul.

This filet is served over a grain-free pilaf, jeweled with dried apricots, a hint of safflower, and parsley. You'd never guess, but this entire plate only takes 30 minutes from start to finish, so you can make the most of your Friday night... whatever that means to you!

Paleo Baked Salmon over Grain-Free Apricot Pilaf

Serves 2 - 3

Salmon

3/4 lb salmon filet

1/2 lemon, sliced thin

Salt & Pepper

1 teaspoon Safflower

1 teaspoon Coconut oil

Grain-Free Apricot Pilaf

1 two-pound head cauliflower

1/2 red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 large carrot

1/3 cup dried apricots

Salt & Pepper

1/2 tablespoon Safflower

1/2 cup parsley

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spoon 1 teaspoon of coconut oil onto a rimmed cookie sheet, and place in oven.

2. Cut the Salmon in 4-ounce portions. Pull the cookie sheet with the melted coconut oil from the oven, and arrange place the salmon on it. Season with salt, pepper, and safflower. Top with thin slices of lemon. Return to oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon is flakey and opaque.

3. While the salmon bakes, prepare the pilaf. Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Add both the pan. Dice the carrots, and add them to the pan as well.

4. Grate the cauliflower (I use a food processor with the cheese grating attachment). When the onion is transparent, add the cauliflower to the pan, stirring to coat with oil. Add the broth to the pan, and reduce heat to low. Mince the parsley, and dice the apricots. Add them to the pilaf, along with the lemon zest, and stir occasionally, allowing the riced cauliflower to brown a bit.

5. Season the pilaf liberally with salt and pepper, and stir in the safflower. Spoon the pilaf onto plates and place the salmon over it. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the entire dish.

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January 30, 2015

Garlic Rosemary Shrimp & Paleo Cocktail Sauce (made without ketchup!)

January 30, 2015/ Caitlin S

Shrimp with cocktail sauce is not something I ate growing up. The entire category of shellfish was on my short list of foods that sucked, right there next to tomatoes, ketchup, asparagus, and carrots. I have only a few memories of actually eating shellfish as a kid, and most of them include my dad sneaking tiny shrimp into stews to see if I could detect them.

Clearly, I just didn't understand that shrimp, roasted and tossed with garlic and rosemary is a gift from the sea. (I eventually learned to like everything on that list, aside from ketchup--ugh!).

I've also learned to appreciate a really good cocktail sauce. One that's zesty. One that actually makes the shrimp taste better, instead of masking it. On that does not include--you guessed it-ketchup. Instead it's made with real tomatoes, horseradish, and garlic. A bit of cayenne, and some lemon juice to round it out. When you start putting real ingredients in cocktail sauce, it actually becomes a power food! Did you know that horseradish is considered a cruciferous vegetable? With molecules called glucosinolates, it's been show to help fight cancer. Horseradish has ten times more glucosinlates than broccoli... So dig in already!

The beauty of this recipe is it's flexibility. Sensitive tastebuds? Hold the cayenne. Timid when it comes to garlic? Add a little, taste it, and add some more. It's easy to take this recipe and turn it into you own signature sauce concoction.

Garlic Rosemary Shrimp & Paleo Cocktail Sauce (made without ketchup!)

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free | Caitlin Sherwood

More shrimp! Less ketchup.

Serves: 4 | Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Shrimp:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 to 1 ounce piece of fresh horseradish
3 cloves garlic
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss the shrimp with the melted oil, minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Spread the shrimp out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
While shrimp cooks, prepare sauce: If you are using a high speed blender, add all of the ingredients and puree until smooth. If you are using a standard blender or food processor, mince the garlic and shred the horseradish with a microplane and then whisk all of the ingredients until combined.
Serve shrimp warm on a platter alongside a bowl of sauce.