17Jun

Vanilla Bean Coconut Macaroons

vanillamacaroons

Time for dessert!  I was craving coconut macaroons this week so I ended up making some.  I adapted the recipe in Nourishing Traditions and ended up with a yummy starch-free version (the NT recipe calls for arrowroot).

I was also out of vanilla so I used some real vanilla bean that my sister had given to me from her time in Thailand.  I hadn’t used real vanilla bean before she gave me this batch and it is truly a treat!  I had no idea how to use it, but all you need to do is simply cut it in half lengthwise, and the scrape out the little vanilla “balls.”

It looks like dark black caviar but very small.   When I made ice cream with it, I cooked the vanilla bean with the scapings and ice creams ingredients and then discarded it.  For the cookies, I just used the insides of the bean.  You can see the little vanilla specks in the cookies:

macarroon

These are really delicious!  They are moist, chewy, not too sweet, vanilla-e and hold their shape.  In my opinion, a perfect macaroon.  Here’s the recipe:

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16Jun

Grain-free and Gluten-free Tortillas, nature made

cabbageleavesOkay, so if you’re not a cabbage fan, please don’t run off too quickly.  I used to pass this beautiful vegetable by without a glance because I didn’t know how versatile and delicious it is.  Now that my choices are much more limited, I have been forced to eat more veggies and be more creative with them.

…The result – I feel better than I ever had in my life, but that’s another story!

I love the almond flour tortillas that I make for tacos, but they are quite a bit of work, especially if I need to grind my own almond flour.  So lately I have been primarily using cabbage leaves as taco and burrito wraps.  I have one thing to say – easy and delicious.  Plus they are virtually allergen free except for anyone allergic to cabbage.  (not very common)

Here’s the run down:

wheat-free, gluten-free, grain-free, corn-free, egg-free, nut-free, seed-free, sugar-free, yeast-free, dairy-free, casein-free, nightshade-free – you get the idea!

Kid friendly?  My son gobbles these tacos down like there’s no tomorrow.

One thing I want to start doing on my blog is to do more step by step tutorials on how to do certain things in the kitchen.  I am a very visual person as are a lot of people and I know photos help a lot in explaining how something works.  So the last time I made these cabbage tacos, I took pictures every step of the process so that you can see first hand how to make them.

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