Huge Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs RECIPE (Slow-Cooker) Oozing With Melty Cheese (Gluten-Free Option)

 

I have a special recipe to share with you all today! This past weekend I invited my mom over for a special Sunday dinner. I love having family over and preparing a tasty dish for them. So today I am sharing my Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs recipe to my loyal readers. This recipe is a family favorite and this meal will surely fill you up! These meatballs are stuffed with oozy mozzarella cheese pearls and they are mighty huge meatballs! This Italian meatball recipe might just become a family favorite in your home too. There is a gluten-free option for my gluten-free readers.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs RECIPE

This mozzarella stuffed meatball recipe is the perfect meal to whip up in your slow-cooker. Once you do all of the work to prepare the meatballs it is smooth sailing after that. The meatballs should take about 15-20 minutes to create. I have also included a pasta sauce recipe for these mozzarella stuffed meatballs, but you can feel free to skip that part and use the pasta sauce of your choice. I often avoid the jarred pasta sauces and create my own sauce with some crushed tomatoes.

If you want a great jarred pasta sauce I highly recommend Rao’s. They make an excellent marinara and if you like bit of heat in your sauce, Rao’s has a fabulous Arrabiata Sauce.


The pasta!

The best pasta to go with these mozzarella stuffed meatballs is the spaghetti noodle. You can go thick or you can go thin. We went thick!


The Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs homemade sauce

You have to have a great pasta sauce to go with your mozzarella stuffed meatballs. I have included a great pasta sauce recipe to go with the meatballs. The pasta sauce is simple and easy to create. If you want a sauce that tastes great you have to use good tomatoes. I used DeLallo’s crushed tomatoes and they were some of the best I ever had. Muir Glen is also another great brand to go with.

And a blend of ground beef and ground Italian sausage is essential to this dish. The mix of meats is going to give you a flavorful, zesty meatball. Ground Italian sausage always lends awesome flavor to Italian pasta sauces.


Gluten-Free Options

If you are following a gluten-free diet and still would like to enjoy this mozzarella stuffed meatballs recipe, simply swap the breadcrumbs out for some gluten-free breadcrumbs. You would then serve the meatballs over the gluten-free pasta of your choice.



Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs (With Gluten-Free Option)

This recipe is for my famous mozzarella-stuffed meatballs… a family favorite! These hearty meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella pearls. When you dig into these meatballs you will love the oozing melty cheese! This is a slow-cooker recipe that serves approximately 8 people. Serve with the pasta of your choice. We love spaghetti noodles with this recipe!

Meatballs

  • 1 pound Ground beef (I use grass fed beef)
  • 1 pound Ground Italian sausage
  • Mozzarella pearls (You can stuff each meatball with 1 or 2 pearls (depending on how large you make the meatballs))
  • 1 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you are gluten-free)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup Milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon Garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon Onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Pasta Sauce

  • 28 ounce Can of crushed tomatoes (I used DeLallo)
  • 6 ounce Can of tomato paste (I used Muir Glen)
  • 2 tablespoons Minced garlic
  • 2 Shallots (Diced)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • Salt (To Taste)
  • Black pepper (To Taste)
  • 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

Meatballs

  1. Use a large mixing bowl for the meatballs. Place all ingredients (except for the olive oil) for the meatballs into a large mixing bowl. Use clean hands to mix and incorporate all of the ingredients. 

  2. Form large balls (approx 2 – 2 1/2 inches across) and stuff the meatballs with either one or two mozzarella pearls. Make sure the meatballs are tightly formed so the cheese does not melt out of them. Set aside the meatballs on a large cookie sheet.

  3. Warm two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Once the oil has warmed place the meatballs in the pan and brown all sides of the meatballs.

  4. Set aside the meatballs while you prepare the pasta sauce in the next step.

Pasta Sauce

  1. Warm a bit of olive oil in a saute pan and then add your minced garlic and diced shallots. Cook until translucent and fragrant. Add to the slow-cooker.

  2. Add the rest of the pasta sauce ingredients to your slow-cooker. Stir well.

  3. Place the meatballs in the slow-cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Final preparations

  1. Prepare the pasta of your choice. Spaghetti noodles work best with meatballs.

  2. Serve, eat, and enjoy your meatballs!

If you are gluten-free, sub the Italian breadcrumbs for a gluten-free breadcrumb. Serve over gluten-free pasta.

A big plate of mozzarella stuffed meatballs served over spaghetti noodles
A big plate of mozzarella stuffed meatballs served over spaghetti noodles
Mozzarella stuffed meatballs oozing melty cheese!
Mozzarella stuffed meatballs oozing melty cheese!




RELATED:

Zesty Spaghetti Sauce RECIPE With Ancient Harvest Pasta, Bell Peppers, & Italian Sausage


Final thoughts about the mozzarella stuffed meatballs recipe

These mozzarella stuffed meatballs were loved and enjoyed by all of us at the dinner table! You just can’t go wrong with a recipe like this. This recipe is a keeper! This is a fabulous meal to create when you have guests over for dinner. Because you use two pounds of meat to make the mozzarella stuffed meatballs there is a lot of food to go around! And these meatballs are huge! I could only pack in two of these gigantic mozzarella stuffed meatballs. How many will you eat? 3 might just be the limit with this dish. A lot of meat!

 

Question Time! Do you have a family favorite recipe that you would like to share? I would love to hear all about your family favorite meal!

 

Other posts that you might enjoy at Give It A Whirl Girl


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Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl (Slow-Cooker)
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl (Slow-Cooker)

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Zesty Spaghetti Sauce RECIPE With Ancient Harvest Pasta, Tri-Color Peppers, Ground Beef, & Italian Sausage (Slow-Cooker)

I am just going to come out and say it… this is some thick ass sauce right here y’all! This zesty spaghetti sauce recipe with Ancient Harvest pasta is nowhere near being skimpy and naked. We got it all going on over here with grass-fed ground beef, ground Italian sausage, three colors of bell peppers, oodles of minced garlic, half an onion, and a whole lot of basil and oregano! How does that sound? Keep reading to find out how I made this set-it-and-forget-it sauce. I will also talk about the Ancient Harvest gluten-free pasta that I used with this zesty spaghetti sauce recipe. I tried them out for Tried It Out Tuesday!

Tri-Color Pepper, Ground Beef, and Italian Sausage Spaghetti With Ancient Harvest Pasta
Tri-Color Peppers, Ground Beef, and Italian Sausage Spaghetti With Ancient Harvest Pasta – A very zesty spaghetti sauce recipe that you will love!

This zesty spaghetti sauce recipe does require a little bit of prep but it is essential. You can’t just toss raw ground meat products into your slow-cooker and expect good results. You gotta brown that meat. Next you are also going to want to saute your onions and garlic until they achieve a translucent appearance and become aromatic and fragrant. I also take the time to soften up the three peppers.

Continue reading “Zesty Spaghetti Sauce RECIPE With Ancient Harvest Pasta, Tri-Color Peppers, Ground Beef, & Italian Sausage (Slow-Cooker)”

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE (Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker)

I think you are all going to fall in love with this simple and easy slow-cooker paleo root vegetable pot roast recipe! This is pure comfort food right over here! This dish was created with a chuck roast, carrots, parsnips, and one really huge turnip! This paleo pot roast gets its fabulous flavor from one of my favorite seasonings, Herbs de Provence. Not only is this meal pure comfort food on a plate, but this paleo & gluten-free dinner is simple to create at home.

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl
Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast

Roast preparations

First things first though. Let’s discuss this Root Vegetable Pot Roast from the beginning. The meat is the highlight of the meal after all. The first thing I do for a slow-cooker roast is salt and pepper that slab of meat, throw it on a hot saute pan with olive oil, let it sizzle and brown. When you brown your meat you lock in the juice of the meat and your meat will be so tender when dinner time rolls around. I used a small 2 pound roast for this recipe but I believe you could use any chuck roast up to three pounds. If you are looking for a great deal on a chuck roast, I have had great success with shopping at Kroger.

Chuck roast for the paleo pot roast with root vegetables
Chuck roast for the paleo pot roast with root vegetables


Soften & season up the vegetables

Once you get a beautiful sear on all sides of the meat it is time to soften and season veggies. This recipe includes carrots, parsnips, and a turnip. What you need to do is slice the carrots and the parsnips. With the turnip, you are going to chop it up into little square or rectangular pieces.

Root vegetables in my paleo pot roast
Root vegetables in my paleo pot roast
My huge turnip for the paleo root vegetable pot roast
My huge turnip for the paleo root vegetable pot roast


Season it up with Herbs de Provence

This paleo root vegetable pot roast was seasoned with Herbs de Provence from Spice Islands. I honestly do not know what the exact ingredients are in this blend. It only says “spices & lavender” on the back label. No clue on why it is so top secret but it is. I wish I could fill you in on the exact seasonings that go into this blend. I read the label on another Herbs de Provence label and it had the following ingredients: marjoram, savory, thyme, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, lavender.

This is a very fragrant and aromatic spice. It is not a seasoning that I use often but I do enjoy seasoning a big hunk of meat with this.

Herbs de Provence for the pot roast
Herbs de Provence for the pot roast

The Instant Pot Aura

This paleo pot roast can be cooked with a regular slow-cooker but I would love to let you know exactly how I cooked my meal. I just recently gave the Instant Pot Aura a whirl and published a review on my blog. I have been using this small appliance in my kitchen for about one month and I am head over heels in love with it! The Instant Pot Aura is a 6-quart multicooker that is a 10-in-1 small appliance for your kitchen. Instead of using a saute pan AND a slow-cooker the Instant Pot Aura is capable of both browning the meat AND slow-cooking it.

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl
Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast in the slow-cooker after prepping

 


You might also enjoy

Why Your Kitchen Needs The Instant Pot Aura Multicooker REVIEW & RECIPE For Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce


Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast
Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast

Final thoughts on this Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast

If you are looking for great comfort food, this Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast recipe will hit the spot! My little family of three chowed down and there were some mmm’s and ahh’s going on at the dinner table! Not only is this slow-cooker pot roast recipe simple but it is very healthy as well! You will not find any gluten lurking around in this paleo recipe… just savory meat and vegetables. This is a meal that you can feel good about eating and you can enjoy this paleo meal without all the guilt!

 

Question Time! What are your favorite ingredients in a pot roast? Leave me a comment and let me know what ingredients you enjoy in yours! 

 

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast For Your Slow-Cooker (Gluten-Free)

This paleo root vegetable pot roast recipe is a simple and easy recipe for your slow-cooker. This dish is pure comfort food and this meal is also gluten-free.

  • 2 pound Chuck roast (You can use slightly larger)
  • 3 Carrots (Sliced)
  • 2 Parsnips (Sliced)
  • 1 Turnip (Diced)
  • 14.5 ounces Fire Roasted Tomatoes (Drained)
  • 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
  • 2 Shallots (Slivered)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 tablespooons Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt (To taste)
  • Pepper (To taste)
  1. Slice and dice your vegetables.

  2. Warm the olive oil in a saute pan. Salt and pepper the meat. Place the meat in the saute pan and brown the meat on all sides to get a browned crust on the outside of the beef.

  3. Add in the garlic and shallots and cook until translucent.

  4. Add in the vegetables (carrots, parsnips, and turnip). Saute until slightly softened.

  5. Place the meat and vegetables into the slow-cooker. Add in one can drained diced fire roasted tomatoes.

  6. Add in your bay leaf and herbs de provence. Stir until well incorporated. Salt and pepper the mixture. 

  7. Place the slow-cooker on low for 5-6 hours.

  8. Once 5-6 hours have passed you can remove your meat and cut into small chunks. Place it back in the slow-cooker and give it a good stir.

  9. Serve, eat, and enjoy.

It is best to go light on the salt and pepper and season to taste depending on the size of your chuck roast. You can always add more as time goes on.

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Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl (Slow-Cooker, Gluten-Free)

 


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Why Your Kitchen Needs The Instant Pot Aura Multicooker REVIEW & RECIPE For Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

The Instant Pot Aura is a multi-cooker that will replace ten common appliances in your kitchen. Even though this small appliance carries the Instant Pot name, this device is not a pressure cooker. And guess what? I am completely and totally fine with this small appliance not being a pressure cooker. I guess I am what you would consider old school when it comes to cooking and have always preferred a slow-cooker method over pressure cooking. This Instant Pot Aura review will show you the many functions of this multicooker device for your kitchen.

The Instant Pot Aura allows for a customizable cooking experience in your kitchen. This small appliance from Instant Pot has 10 different functions on it that are programmable. You will find that the Instant Pot Aura is a versatile tool that can be used for your next cooking project. This device can be fine-tuned to tailor the needs of what you are cooking and it even remembers the last setting that you programmed.

The Instant Pot Aura! The appliance that you didn't know you need! REVIEW by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL
The Instant Pot Aura! The appliance that you didn’t know you need!

Instant Pot Aura review

Advantages of the Instant Pot Aura – my takeaway

For me, the number one advantage to this Instant Pot Aura is that I can also sear/saute all in one convenient appliance and then use the slow-cooker function. Makes for fewer dishes! When I make something like a pot roast I always sear my big hunk of meat and I like to soften the veggies with some olive oil. The Instant Pot Aura is the perfect cooking device for your next big roast.

Another great function of this Instant Pot Aura multicooker is that you can use this to roast an entire chicken. With the Instant Pot Aura, you can perfectly roast an entire chicken. This was actually the first thing that I did with my Instant Pot Aura and the meat came out so flavorful and juicy. I simply just stuffed the cavity with a halved lemon, a shallot, and some rosemary. I then made an herbed ghee mixture with minced garlic and rosemary and spread this all over the skin of the chicken.

 

Functions of the Instant Pot Aura

10 appliances all in 1! How does that sound? Sounds pretty magnificent to me and that is exactly why I was so eager to give the Instant Pot Aura a whirl!

With 10 Smart Programs your favorite dishes can now be prepared to perfection by simply pushing a button.

  • Roast
  • Stew
  • Bake
  • Steamer
  • Slow-cooker
  • Sear / Saute
  • Rice Cooker
  • Yogurt Maker
  • Fermenter
  • Warmer
The functions on the Instant Pot Aura A REVIEW by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL
The functions on the Instant Pot Aura

Microprocessor Technology

With the Instant Pot Aura’s microprocessor technology you are in control over temperature and time. This technology ensures consistent cooking results.


I will discuss some of my favorite functions now of the Instant Pot Aura.

Slow-Cooker

For the slow-cooker mode, there are two settings: high and low. You can program the slow-cooker for 30 minutes all the way up to 24 hours.

Sear/Saute

The sear and saute mode on the Instant Pot Aura is incredible. There is a flexible temperature setting that ranges from 250-degrees to 425-degrees. This function is perfect for getting a good sear on your meat, sauteing your vegetables, and for caramelization. The time for this mode ranges from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

Roast

The roast setting has a flexible temperature range from 250-degrees to 425-degrees. I roasted a whole chicken in the Instant Pot Aura for 90 minutes at 425-degrees and the outcome was excellent. So simple and easy to use and even the cleanup was a breeze. The Instant Pot Aura also comes with a roasting rack for the roast setting. The roast setting is not only perfect for chicken but imagine the big hunks of beef you could roast in here!

Delay-start mode

With the Delay Start mode, you can program the Instant Pot Aura so your meal can be ready at dinner-time.

Keep warm

The Keep Warm function is a wonderful setting as well. This setting keeps your food nice and warm and this setting can be programmed for whatever duration of time you need. One great way that this setting would come in handy is during the holidays so food can be kept warm at your next big feast.

Dishwasher-safe too!

The Instant Pot Aura is dishwasher-safe, which is a big bonus because I certainly don’t feel like washing it!

Instant Pot Aura Simple Sausage Pasta Sauce RECIPE

I am including a recipe in my review of the Instant Pot Aura. This is a super simple recipe for some very zesty and flavorful ground Italian sausage pasta sauce. This recipe can be served up with the pasta of your choice. I opted form some cheese tortellinis and that turned out to be quite the excellent choice. This recipe is a great one to start with for the Instant Pot Aura newbie (like myself).

Simple Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce with the Instant Pot Aura Multicooker served with cheese tortellini RECIPE by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL
Simple Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce with the Instant Pot Aura Multicooker served with cheese tortellini
Simple Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce with the Instant Pot Aura RECIPE by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL
Simple Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce with the Instant Pot Aura



Simple Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce In The Instant Pot Aura

This recipe is for my Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce. This is a very zesty and garlicky sauce and it is so simple to create with your Instant Pot Aura Multicooker! This recipe will serve approximately four people. Serve this pasta sauce with the pasta of your choice. We enjoyed this sauce with cheese tortellini.

  • 1 pound Ground Italian Sausage
  • 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 2 Shallots (slivered)
  • 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning Blend
  • Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  1. Turn your Instant Pot Aura on and hit the sautée button. The Instant Pot Aura will warm up. Place one tablespoon of olive oil inside. Add your garlic and slivered shallots. Cook until translucent and fragrant.

  2. Add the ground Italian sausage to the Instant Pot Aura and brown the meat. Season with one tablespoon Italian Seasoning.

  3. Add in the can of crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste. Give it a good stir and incorporate all of the ingredients.

  4. Add in an additional 1/2 tablespoon of Italian seasonings.

  5. Set the Instant Pot Aura on the slow-cooker mode on low for one hour.

  6. After the hour is up it is time to eat. Serve this pasta sauce with the pasta of your choice.

  7. Serve, eat, and enjoy!

 



Question Time! How will you be using the Instant Pot Aura in your kitchen? What would you love to create first?

 


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Greek Caulipower Pizza RECIPE With Primal Kitchen (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)

If you are not a fan of garlic it might just be time to walk away from this post. Today I will tell you how I created a Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza using a blank Caulipower crust and some Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette. You can adjust this recipe to your taste with the garlic but the amount that is noted in here is for garlic lovers only. This is, believe it or not, my first time ever having a Greek pizza. I love Greek food so I kind of had an idea in my mind that everything would turn out wonderful to me. Guess what? I nailed it and that is why I am sharing this recipe to you for my Greek Caulipower Pizza! This pizza does not contain any meat so it a vegetarian pizza and would be perfect for any veggie lover. I have a feeling that you will love this Caulipower Pizza recipe that I am sharing with you today!

Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen
Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen

Caulipower Crust – The Caulipower Greek Pizza All Starts Here

If you are looking at my post and my photos here and are drooling a bit and craving this Greek Caulipower Pizza then you are going to need your base to start with. This was my second time trying the Caulipower crust. I bought a veggie Caulipower pizza not too long ago and dressed it up with some additional toppings. This time I wanted to be the artist and the chef and create my own on a blank slate. The blank Caulipower crust pack contains two crusts and if you want you can double this recipe so that you have two Greek Caulipower Pizzas. The recipe has enough servings and slices for two people. That is of course unless you have a huge appetite and can eat an entire pizza by yourself.

The Power of the Caulipower

Let’s talk a bit about why I love this Caulipower crust so much.

First of all, it is paleo friendly. If you do not add any cheese this pizza will fulfill your paleo diet needs.

Secondly, we all know that cauliflower crust is all the rage these days because it is low-carb. A cauliflower crust pizza is leaning in the guilt-free direction of things. You can take a peek at the nutrition facts below (source). A serving size is considered 1/3 of the pizza and considering this is pizza it only comes in at 26 grams of carbs (with net carbs it is lower). A regular pizza is at least twice that amount and averages about 36 grams of carbs for just one slice!

Nutrition Facts for Caulipower Crust
Nutrition Facts for Caulipower Crust (source)

 

And third, this Caulipower crust is nice and crisp! Often times a cauliflower crust can result in sogginess from the moisture that can be found in cauliflower. If you ever make your own crust you really have to squeeze the moisture out. I made my own cauliflower crust last year and while it was good, the texture of it was mushy. I did not get enough of the moisture out. Caulipower takes the frustration out of cauliflower crust. These blank crusts have endless possibilities.


Ingredients used for Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe
Ingredients used for Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe

Primal Kitchen Greek Marinade/Salad Dressing

This pizza uses Primal Kitchen’s Greek Marinade/Salad Dressing for the sauce. I am pretty confident that most other greek salad dressings will work for the Greek garlic sauce but Primal Kitchen is the brand that I use because I am a huge fan of all of their products. This dressing is made with only the finest all-natural ingredients. When an item is Whole-30 approved, you know it is going to be a healthy element in your dish.


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Garlic! Garlic! And More Garlic!

There. I said it three times so you get the point. This Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe is chock full of garlic. I put three heaping tablespoons of it in the blender with my Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette. When I need minced garlic I skip the knifework and I grab my Spice World Minced Garlic. My knife skills suck if I am going to be honest here and minced garlic can be tricky. I really need to improve in the knife department. Spice World does all of the work for you and they are my go-to brand. They do also have an organic minced garlic available and I often try to use that but my Kroger was out the last time I shopped so I just went with regular.

Bring On The Cheese Please!

A Greek Caulipower Pizza would not be Greek if it was not for the feta cheese! No Greek pizza is complete without feta. For this recipe, I went with a blend of feta and mozzarella. I used one small container of Kroger’s Simple Truth Feta Cheese and I used a handful of Tillamook mozzarella, which is my favorite shredded mozzarella cheese.

Greek Toppings

For the rest of the toppings on this Greek Caulipower Pizza, I used cherry tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, and half of a slivered and sliced shallot. Next time I make a Greek pizza I am going to add some sliced beets to it. I think beets would have been awesome on this pizza, so now you know! You might just want to add them to yours.


Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen
Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen

Final Thoughts on this Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe

I would love for you to know exactly what came out of my daughter’s mouth when she hesitantly took her first bite of this pizza. I did not think she would agree with it because of the potent taste of feta cheese BUT the first thing she said was,

Wow! Mom! This pizza has sooooooo much flavor!

It does have quite a potent garlic flavor so just scale back a tablespoon if three is too intense for you.

We were both impressed with the crisp texture of this Caulipower Crust! Could it be magic? I do not know how they do it but it sure turns out crisp after 13 minutes baking in the oven! It is very impressive to me that Caulipower has the power to transform cauliflower into a pizza crust that does disappoint. This Caulipower Pizza recipe might just be one of your recipes that are in regular rotation! Love it!

Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen
Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen

Would love to hear from you!
Will you be giving Caulipower Pizza recipe a whirl? How will you dress your pizza up? Leave me a comment and let me know.

 


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Greek Caulipower Pizza RECIPE Gluten-Free, Vegetarian GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL

 


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Let’s kick things off here by just admitting that I feel so very blessed to live in close proximity to Nino Salvaggio in St. Clair Shores. I have been visiting Nino Salvaggio’s for as long as I can remember. My mom used to go shopping here all the time and my mind was always blown by the beautiful, colorful fruit and vegetable displays there. It is sort of like a work of art… an installation of the prettiest produce your eyes have seen. Nino Salvaggio takes pride in the products that they sell, and it shows! This store is absolutely stunning and you can see that they pay attention to detail.

Today I will also be sharing a recipe for an exotic fruit smoothie bowl that I created with passion fruit and guava. Passion fruit is one of my favorite fruits and I love the sweet and sour taste of it. Guava is another favorite exotic fruit of mine and I don’t get a chance to enjoy it very often. I could not resist buying one from Nino Salvaggio.

Produce section of Nino Salvaggio - Isn't it just spectacular?
Produce section of Nino Salvaggio – Isn’t it just spectacular?

About Nino Salvaggio

Nino Salvaggio is the go-to place in the area if you want some perfect and flawless ingredients in your food. It’s not just fruits and veggies though! Nino Salvaggio also has a deli and meat counter. They also have a great little grocery section with some very cool, unusual ingredients. And you just have to see the gorgeous bakery at Nino Salvaggio. I get my chocolate cassata birthday cake from Nino Salvaggio every single year. And speaking of birthdays, mine is next month and I will be enjoying that cake soon! Yippee!

Nino Salvaggio has four convenient locations in Michigan to serve you. They are located in St. Clair Shores, Troy, Clinton Township, and Bloomfield Township. You can find out more about Nino Salvaggio and their mission HERE. This is a store that is highly committed to providing high quality foods.

I visited Nino Salvaggio this past weekend to pick up some exotic fruits. I knew ahead of time that I wanted to pick up a couple passion fruits (one of my all-time favorite fruits). The dilemma was that I really was not quite sure what I wanted to combine it with for my smoothie bowl. Then I saw the guava and I knew that would pair well with the passion fruit so I took home one of those.

Gorgeous produce at Nino Salvaggio's
Gorgeous produce at Nino Salvaggio’s

"<yoastmark

Exotic fruits that intrigued me at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

The exotic fruits section at Nino Salvaggio is the most interesting place to shop, for me anyway! This is the spot in the store where you can get brave and muster up the strength to try something new!

"<yoastmark

Passion Fruit

So this is the fruit that I was really going after with my trip to Nino Salvaggio. Passion fruit just might be one of my all-time favorite fruits to chow down on. With the passion fruit, you get the wonderful combination of sweet & sour. If you don’t like the texture of tapioca you probably won’t like this. It does, to me, have a tapioca texture. It is slimy and seedy but the taste blows my mind. Using this as the star of my smoothie bowl was a wise choice!

Passion fruit is a nutrient-dense fruit that has a great amount of Vitamin C in it and it is great for the immune system. The passion fruit also has some fiber, Vitamin A, potassium, and a bit of iron. It is a small fruit and contains around 17 calories per serving. You can learn all about the health benefits of the passion fruit HERE.

Passion Fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Passion Fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Guava

Guava is the second fruit that I ended up going with for my smoothie bowl. These guavas are oh so yummy but they are pricey! I only took home one small guava. One turned out to be just enough for the flavor that I was going after.

As far as nutrition goes with the guava fruit, you are going to find some antioxidants, Vitamin C, fiber, and beta carotene in the fruit. There are 8 wonderful health benefits of the guava fruit and you can feed your brain with knowledge over here.

Guava at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Guava at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Rambutan

Now here is an interesting piece of fruit! This is a rambutan and it sort of reminds me of lychee fruit. I was really tempted to get more of these but the steep price deterred me and I only purchased one! Me and my daughter, Chloe, split the rambutan in half and we each tried a small piece. It definitely does have a taste reminiscent of lychee. The flesh was soft and also reminded me of grapes. I would give this a whirl again. We really enjoyed the experience of trying this unique fruit.

Rambutan fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Rambutan fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Rambutan fruit from Nino Salvaggio
Rambutan fruit from Nino Salvaggio

Quince

Quince is a new-to-me fruit too. Never ever had one in my life had quince! These tart fruits are grown in Chile and you can eat them raw, but it is advised to cook these if you want the best flavor to come through.

Quince at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Quince at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Ya Ya Pear

The ya ya pear is a pear that originates from China. This white pear’s flavor can best be described as a cross between a rose and a pineapple. The ya ya pear is crisp and sweet, but not overly sweet. Just the right amount of sweetness!

Yaya Pear at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Yaya Pear at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Passion Fruit / Guava Smoothie Bowl RECIPE

For this Passion Fruit/ Guava smoothie bowl I used two frozen bananas, two passion fruits, one guava, coconut milk, chia seeds, and coconut flakes. This tropical smoothie bowl makes a fantastic treat for breakfast!

Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl

Want a smoothie bowl with exotic flavor? 

Give this tropical passion fruit and guava smoothie bowl a whirl!

  • 2 Bananas (Frozen)
  • 1/4 cup Full fat coconut milk
  • 2 Passion Fruit
  • 1 Guava
  • 2 tbsp Coconut flakes
  • 1 tbsp Chia seeds
  1. Place two frozen bananas, 1 passion fruit, 1 guava, and 1/4 cup of coconut milk in the blender. Use your smoothie mode if your blender has one.

  2. Once blended up pour the smoothie mixture into a large bowl. Soup bowls work well. 

  3. Top your smoothie bowl with some shredded coconut flake and chia seeds. And now you can use your other passion fruit to top the smoothie.

  4. Eat and enjoy! Hope you love it!


Fruits that I used in my Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
Fruits that I used in my Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
Close-up of the passion fruit and the guava
Close-up of the passion fruit and the guava
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl topped with coconut and black chia seeds
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl topped with coconut and black chia seeds
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
A spoonful of Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
TALK ABOUT YUM! Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl


Final thoughts

Sounds strange (maybe??) but I sure do get excited about taking a little trip to my favorite fruit & veggie store- Nino Salvaggio! If you are looking for top-notch produce you will find whatever it is you are looking for at Nino Salvaggio. Definitely make sure you visit the exotic fruit section of the store. What you need to do next is get brave and try some of these unusual fruits and vegetables. My blog is all about trying new things and eating with an open mind. I hope this inspires you to eat with an open mind. There is an entire universe full of unusual food and it is just waiting for you to give it a whirl!

Question time! Have you ever been to Nino Salvaggio? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about this incredible place to shop!

 

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake RECIPE (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Saturdays are my favorite days of the week to get in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen and whip up a tasty treat for my family to enjoy. This weekend I created a vegan and gluten-free, no-bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake. Is there anything in this world better than edible chocolate chip cookie dough? Hell no! This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake is completely safe to indulge in and does not contain any eggs which are typically found in cookies. The filling is of this cheesecake mimics the real deal quite well and my little family of 3 absolutely loved this faux cheesecake recipe.

I think that it is a universal idea that raw cookie dough is the bomb! When I was a little girl and my mom whipped up a batch of cookies I always had to have a taste of the cookie dough on the spatula. I would give it a good lick and the taste of raw cookie dough is pure, straight up comfort food! Am I right?

Raw cookie dough almost always has eggs in it, and let’s face it… raw eggs can get you sick with salmonella nowadays and that is the last thing in the world that anyone needs. This recipe is perfect for those that admire that taste of raw cookie dough. If you don’t feel like creating an entire cheesecake with this recipe, go ahead and just create the filling and indulge in that with a spoon or use something to dip in it. The filling on its own makes a great dip!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Vegan-friendly and gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Vegan-friendly and gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Creating the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This cheesecake has a very rich taste thanks to the 4th & Heart ghee that I used. If you are able to get hour hands on the 4th & Heart vanilla ghee I am sure that would be fantastic in this recipe as well. In my cheesecakes, I always go with coconut oil but for this one, I swapped that out for ghee since chocolate chip cookies are full of butter. The ghee turned out the be a wise choice. When I took that first bite of this cheesecake I knew that using ghee in this recipe was a smart decision. I used coconut oil a couple months ago to make a cookie dough cheesecake, and while it was delicious this recipe with the ghee knocked it out of the park!

It may seem as though this recipe has a lot of ingredients. If you have a well-stocked pantry, chances are you already have most of the items on the ingredient list. There are also some kitchen items, such as a good-sized food processor, that you will need. A springform pan is essential as well in order to create a cheesecake. A standard 8-inch size will do. If you use anything larger you will have to increase the amount of the ingredients in the chocolate ganache topping.

Most of the ingredients
Most of the ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake crust

The first step of this recipe is to create the crust of the cheesecake. For the crust of this cookie dough cheesecake, I used a mix of Medjool dates, raw almonds, almond flour, finely shredded coconut, maple syrup, cacao powder, ghee, and some pure vanilla extract. This results in a chocolatey crust due to the added cacao powder. If you do not want a chocolate crust, simply just omit the cacao powder. The crust is gluten and grain-free. The crust has a nutty texture (from the almonds) and the perfect amount of chocolate flavor.

Crust ingredients in the food processor
Crust ingredients in the food processor
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough chocolate crust pressed into a springform pan
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough chocolate crust pressed into a springform pan

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake filling

The filling is composed of raw cashews, almond flour, coconut flour, ghee, maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut sugar, and vegan dark chocolate chips. This is the part of cheesecake that is all about that edible cookie dough flavor. The soaked cashews mixed with that little bit of lemon juice, believe it or not, are going to imitate a cheesecake. This type of formula with the cashews and lemon juice is very versatile and you can totally get creative here with your non-dairy, vegan cheesecake. I posted some other recipes for cheesecakes at the bottom of this post.


Filling made... just need to stir in some chocolate chips
Filling made… just need to stir in some chocolate chips
Filling smoothed out over the crust. Just needs a chocolate ganche topping.
Filling smoothed out over the crust. Just needs a chocolate ganche topping.
Close up of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Close up of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake topping

For this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake, we are going to top it off with a simple chocolate ganache that is only 2 ingredients: vegan dark chocolate chips (from Enjoy Life Foods) and just a dab of coconut oil to smooth it all out. This is my daughter’s favorite part of any cheesecake that I create. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because she is a chocolate lover like myself? This is the first part that she always goes for when I cut her a slice.

Melting down some dark chocolate chips for the topping
Melting down some dark chocolate chips for the topping
Slice of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Slice of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Continue reading “Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake RECIPE (Vegan, Gluten-Free)”

Paleo Matcha & Chocolate Cheesecake – RECIPE – Gluten-Free

Let it be known that making these cheesecakes are one of my favorite things to do in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. These desserts are rich, flavorful, and actually quite nutritious. They are a much better alternative to regular cheesecake. The basic ingredients in these are fruit (medjool dates) and a variety of different nuts (mostly cashews). I am not going to lie, sometimes I even sneak in a slice for a filling breakfast. This matcha chocolate cheesecake dessert is unique in its flavor. If you are a fan of matcha (green tea) this recipe for a matcha chocolate cheesecake might just be perfect for you. I love everything about this particular one: the crust, the filling, and the chocolate ganache on top. It all marries together harmoniously to make one hell of an awesome cheesecake.

Matcha & Chocolate Vegan Cheesecake
Matcha & Chocolate Cheesecake

This almost-paleo matcha chocolate cheesecake requires several different components to make it all come together. I broke it down into sections for you. I suggest gathering up all of your ingredients first so you can breeze through this recipe with ease.

Continue reading “Paleo Matcha & Chocolate Cheesecake – RECIPE – Gluten-Free”

Strip Steaks With Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade & Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (Gluten-Free, Paleo) RECIPE – Eat Like A Caveman

Primal Kitchen Bone-In Balsamic Strip Steaks served with Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Primal Kitchen Bone-In Balsamic Strip Steaks served with Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

 

Primal Kitchen Bone-In Balsamic Strip Steaks served with Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Primal Kitchen Bone-In Balsamic Strip Steaks served with Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

See that? Looks mighty fine, doesn’t it? That is what you get when you make a dinner date with two brands that I love Primal Kitchen and Applegate. This is not the first time using Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade and it will not be the last. Primal Kitchen consistently comes through and shines with their incredible line of tasty and nutritious products. I made sure my pantry is always stocked with their items. This right here is going to be one of those dinners that is on repeat and in regular rotation here at the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. My family of 3 ooh’s and ahh’s the entire time eating this gluten-free, low-carb, primal meal made with Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade.

Primal, paleo meal

If you are looking for a simple, flavorful steak dinner then I will hook you up with this amazing recipe that anyone could do. You will be eating like a primal caveman in no time with this paleo meal. This particular marinade is created with a blend of balsamic vinegar, avocado oil, and organic herbs and spices. You will not find any refined sugars in their line of products… none! Two tablespoons of this Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade are 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 3 carbs.

Ingredients are simple and pure

Primal Kitchen only produces items with simple and pure ingredients… real food to fuel your body and mind. I am a label analyzer and I never spot any odd ingredients whatsoever in the products. They are all ingredients that you are familiar with and nothing funky that you can’t pronounce and have to Google to find out what the heck it is. Here is what is inside the Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade.

Continue reading “Strip Steaks With Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade & Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (Gluten-Free, Paleo) RECIPE – Eat Like A Caveman”

Paleo Mississippi Roast Melt In Your Mouth Meat Recipe (Slow-Cooker) (Gluten-Free)

Meat so tender and juicy it just melts in your mouth. Mmmm! This is what I will be discussing today… my Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast recipe! I will fill you in on how I made a gluten-free Mississippi Pot Roast without any seasoning packets. We DIY over here! I included my recipe for both the seasoning and the roast. This slow-cooker recipe requires minimal prep and then you load the meat into your slow-cooker and it does all of the work for you… set it and forget it! This is a simple way to ensure that you will have a mouthwatering meal waiting for you after a long, busy day at work.

PALEO MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST RECIPE by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL - GLUTEN-FREE
PALEO MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST RECIPE
Skip the ranch seasoning packet and make your own ranch seasoning!
Paleo-friendly recipe right here!

If you are a seasoned cook (pun intended) you should already have all, if not most, of these ingredients, stashed away in your pantry for this Paleo Mississippi Roast. I had everything on hand so I experimented here and created this ranch-flavored seasoning to coat my meat with.

Ingredients for ranch seasoning:

Directions for ranch seasoning:

Simply mix all of these ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. You will rub this completely on your roast. You likely will not need all of it but at least half and the other half can be reserved for a future use. Keep reading to see how I used the rest of my seasoning.

Homemade paleo friendly ranch seasoning for Mississippi Roast

Ingredients for Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients for Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast
Ranch rub for Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast
Ranch rub for Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast

 

Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast recipe

This recipe will feed 4-5 people if you go with a 2 1/2 lb roast like I did. If you need to feed more, simply purchase a larger roast.

Ingredients for roast:

  • You will need a good sized chuck roast or any other roast of your choosing. I used a 2 1/2 pound chuck roast
  • Homemade ranch seasoning (recipe above)
  • Pepperoncinis (as many as your heart desires)
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 5 tablespoons ghee – (2 tablespoons for browning meat and 3 tablespoons to top the roast with)

Directions for roast:

  1. Rub your roast with the ranch seasoning that you created.
  2. Warm 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large skillet or frying pan. When the pan is warm and ghee is melted place your roast in there and brown on all sides.
  3. Once meat is browned place in slow-cooker.
  4. Add two tablespoons of minced garlic
  5. Add one cup of beef broth to slow-cooker.
  6. Top meat with 3 tablespoons of ghee. It will melt down on the meat and infuse it with flavor and juiciness.
  7. Top the roast with pepperoncinis. I ended up using half a jar.
  8. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  9. Remove meat from slow-cooker and place on platter to slice and serve.
  10. Eat and enjoy! Serve with your favorite side-dish or use my suggestion below for roasted ranch potatoes.

 

 

Brown your Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast with 2 tablespoons of ghee
Brown your Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast with 2 tablespoons of ghee


DeLallo Pepperoncinis for Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast
DeLallo Pepperoncinis for Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast


Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast topped with Organic Valley Ghee and DeLallo Pepperoncinis
Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast topped with Organic Valley Ghee and DeLallo Pepperoncinis

Looking for a way to use up that ranch seasoning that you created?

I had quite a bit of ranch seasoning leftover so what I did was tossed some potatoes with some extra virgin olive oil and coated them with the ranch seasoning. I roasted these potato halves in the oven at 400-degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes and they came out fork-tender. This potato medley is the perfect accompaniment to your Mississippi Pot Roast. If you want to keep your meal totally paleo be sure to use roasted sweet potatoes since those fall within paleo guidelines. In the photo below, I used one small bag of multi-colored mini potatoes and fingerlings. I sliced them all down the middle for quicker roasting.

Use the remainder of your ranch seasoning to roast a big batch of potatoes
Use the remainder of your ranch seasoning to roast a big batch of potatoes
Tender & juicy Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast ready for serving
Tender & juicy Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast ready for serving
Tender & juicy Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast ready for serving along with a roasted medley on potatoes
Tender & juicy Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast ready for serving along with a roasted medley on potatoes

 

Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast made with a BUTCHERBOX Chuck Roast
Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast made with a BUTCHERBOX Chuck Roast

 

Mississippi Pot Roast (Paleo and Gluten-Free) made with a BUTCHERBOX Chuck Roast
Mississippi Pot Roast (Paleo and Gluten-Free) made with a BUTCHERBOX Chuck Roast

 

 

Tender & juicy Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast along with a roasted medley of potatoes
Tender & juicy Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast along with a roasted medley of potatoes

 

Mississippi Roast (Paleo, Gluten-Free) Chuck Roast From My ButcherBox
Mississippi Roast (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

 

 

 

 

Skip the butter and go with Fourth & Heart Ghee. Shop on Amazon. This is one of my go-to brands of ghee.



My mother and step-dad stopped over for dinner last night and this was what I served. We sure polished this meal off. There was nothing left and we all joined the Clean Plate Club. This is the type of dinner that I love to serve to guests of my home. It is great comfort food and it is a filling dish. We all had to leave some room for dessert though! I created a vegan matcha and chocolate cheesecake and that was our dessert. I am currently working on a recipe post for that and hope to post it soon.

Does this look like a recipe that your family would enjoy? If you do decide to make this dish let me know how you like it. Leave me a comment and let me know.

Related post:

WHEN COMFORT & SIMPLICITY COLLIDE – PALEO POT ROAST WITH PARSNIPS (GLUTEN-FREE, SLOW-COOKER)

PALEO ROOT VEGETABLE POT ROAST RECIPE (Slow-Cooker)

Paleo Pot Roast With Parsnips (Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker)
Paleo Pot Roast With Parsnips (Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker)
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Pineapples Stuffed With Sweet Teriyaki Chicken and Ginger/Orange Quinoa RECIPE – Gluten-Free – One Last Summer Meal

Pineapples Stuffed With Sweet Teriyaki Chicken and Ginger/Orange Quinoa - Gluten-Free - RECIPE
Pineapples Stuffed With Sweet Teriyaki Chicken and Ginger/Orange Quinoa – Gluten-Free – RECIPE

It really is starting to feel like autumn now and I have been craving this Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken dish all summer and I finally got around to whipping this dish up a couple nights ago. I created a pineapple dish with a sweet honey teriyaki sauce (the sauce is paleo compliant) with chicken breast and some ginger & orange quinoa. My daughter, Chloe, was super duper excited to chow down on this dish. It is so fun to eat your food out of a pineapple, right? This dish is gluten-free and will also be paleo if you just leave out the ginger/orange quinoa.

Pineapples Stuffed With Sweet Teriyaki Chicken and Ginger/Orange Quinoa - Gluten-Free
Pineapples Stuffed With Sweet Teriyaki Chicken and Ginger/Orange Quinoa – Gluten-Free

Dishes served like this are always memorable. It’s not too often that the opportunity arises to eat your meal out of a pineapple. I truly get joy out of preparing meals like this for my family. Not only is this dish super cool but it is also healthy and nutritious, most importantly!

Create something amazing and memorable for your family to enjoy! This dish will make you feel like you are swept away to an exotic tropical location.

Continue reading “Pineapples Stuffed With Sweet Teriyaki Chicken and Ginger/Orange Quinoa RECIPE – Gluten-Free – One Last Summer Meal”

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE With Pomegranate & Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites – (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Wondering how I naturally obtained this lovely shade of hot pink in my bowl of nice-cream (vegan ice-cream)?? Easy! I owe it all to the cactus pear, also known as the prickly pear. The flesh of a cactus pear, when combined with a banana, will give you this gorgeous magenta hue. This cactus pear nice cream recipe is a healthy dessert that will most definitely make your child excited for a yummy treat that is naturally sweet from nature with no added sugars. Other ingredients in this frozen treat are frozen pomegranate, two frozen bananas, some coconut milk and Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Raspberry Protein Bites. This is a much healthier alternative to traditional ice-cream and I always enjoy creating this and serving it at home. Super simple and easy to do too!

Nice-cream is the vegan and paleo version of ice-cream. It is dairy-free and lactose-free.

Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream
Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a commission if items are purchased through these links with no extra cost to you.

A good food processor comes in handy for making vegan nice-creams at home. You will also want to prepare in advance for making this by freezing two sliced up bananas overnight. Also, chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight for best results. If you have a can of coconut cream on-hand that makes for even better results, a lot more creamy, but coconut cream is usually around $4 a can and coconut milk works just fine.

The Enjoy Life Foods Dark Raspberry Protein Bites were a wise choice here as a nice-cream topping. I chopped them up small and placed them on top. The dark raspberry flavor is actually my favorite flavor of all the Protein Bites and it paired nicely with the flavors of the cactus pear and pomegranate. It also gave this bowl of nice-cream a boost in protein, which is always welcome, especially if you are following a vegan diet.


Ingredients used to make Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream
Ingredients used to make Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream (Protein Bites not shown in this photo)

Cactus Pear Nice Cream Recipe

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE With Pomegranate & Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites

This simple and easy to do gluten-free and vegan nice cream recipe results in the prettiest of pink nice creams you have ever seen.

  • 2 Bananas (Frozen)
  • 1 Cactus Pear
  • 1/2 cup Pomegranate (Frozen)
  • 6 Enjoy Life Foods Dark Raspberry Protein Bites
  • 1/2 cup Full-fat organic coconut milk (Chilled overnight in fridge)
  1. Place the frozen bananas, cactus pear, pomegranate, and chilled coconut in the food processor.

  2. Blend until smooth.

  3. Remove cactus pear nice-cream from food processor bowl.

  4. To the nice cream with small chunks of Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites. I used the Dark Raspberry.

  5. Divide into two bowls. 

    Serve, eat. and enjoy!


Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream in the food processor. Do not add Protein Bites at this time!
Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream in the food processor. Do not add Protein Bites at this time!
20180906_0623522041939795.jpg
Enjoy Life Foods Dark Raspberry Protein Bites chopped into small pieces
Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream
Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream

Final thoughts on the cactus pear nice cream recipe

I do believe that you will love this hot-pink cactus pear nice cream recipe if you do decide to give it a whirl. It is super unique in its flavor and unlike anything I have ever tried! I am extremely happy with the results of mixing these ingredients together. I was not sure what the outcome would be, but I got brave in the kitchen and I have no regrets!

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to ice-cream that is dairy-free and contains no added sugars, you should try making vegan and glutern-free nice creams at home. They are very versatile and you can get creative by whipping them up and experimenting with different ingredients. As a base, I usually use two frozen bananas and make sure I have a can of chilled coconut milk (it must be full-fat and not light coconut milk) on-hand to make this. This will result in approximately 2-3 servings. Most often it is just my daughter and I sharing but sometimes my hubby wants some too.

You can read more about the Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites on a previous blog post:

HERE

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Have you ever tried vegan nice cream? How do you like to create yours? Leave me a comment and let me know.

 

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How To Get A Tender And Juicy Ribeye Steak With Herbed Ghee In A Cast Iron Pan

Can you think of anything better than a big juicy steak for dinner? Nope! Not me! This is definitely a favorite for my whole family. I am going to fill you in on how I use my cast iron pan and some herbed ghee to make the most tender and juicy steak!

You only need a few simple things to obtain a tender and juicy steak in the kitchen. First things first, you will need a cast iron pan. I am a true believer in cast iron and I won’t even throw a steak on the grill anymore. I get the best results with my Lodge Cast Iron. You will also need an herbed ghee or you can make your own herbed ghee with a few ingredients: garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. The herbed ghee is going to make your steak burst with flavor. It is so simple to do and the results are spectacular. It requires only minimal effort.

The first thing I do when I am prepping to cook a steak is to take them out of the fridge and let them rest for a bit. This is when I salt and pepper them on both sides. You also need to start heating your cast iron pan. You want to ensure that your pan is hot when you throw the steaks on so they can get a nice sear to them.

Ribeye steaks cooking in a Lodge Cast Iron Pan
Ribeye steaks cooking in a Lodge Cast Iron Pan

4th & Heart makes wonderful garlic ghee that you can add your seasonings (rosemary and thyme) to. If you cannot find this brand with the garlic already in it, any kind of ghee will do. I do highly recommend 4th & Heart though. I know my Kroger store carries the regular one. These ghees are also available on Amazon and you can get them conveniently delivered in two days if you have Prime. If you do not yet have Prime you can try a free 30-day trial through this link.

4th & Heart ghee is top-notch when it comes to all of the ghees available. Ghee has wonderful health benefits and is a much better alternative to butter. With ghee, all of the milk fats are removed. It is considered a clarified butter and is lactose-free and dairy-free. Ghee is known to improve the digestive tract and repair it. Ghee is very aromatic and when you are cooking with it in the kitchen your house is going to smell amazing.

Fourth & Heart ghee is made from the milk of grass-fed, pasture raised New Zealand cows.  Why did we have to go so far from home? We find the best quality to be in the place where the greenest grass grows and that’s in New Zealand. (source)

Ghee with added herbs - garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme
Ghee with added herbs – garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme
Ribeye with herbed ghee (garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme)
Ribeye with herbed ghee (garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme)

For the ghee, what I do is I melt down a few tablespoons. Your ghee keeps in the fridge and is solid like butter. You can melt your ghee down in a small pan and add some garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme to it. You don’t need to go crazy with the seasonings here, just give the ghee enough to have some flavor infused throughout it.

While the steaks are cooking in the cast iron pan you can spoon the herbed ghee onto the steaks. I just keep spooning in on over the top of the steak and it marinates it with absolutely awesome flavor. I like my steaks medium rare so I only cook my steaks for a few minutes on each side of them. I served these ribeye steaks up with some roasted red skin potatoes that also had garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme on them. It was a perfect pairing for the steak.

Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes
Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes
Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes
Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes
Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes
Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes

We truly enjoyed this steak and potatoes meal on Labor Day. There were lots of ooo’s and ahhh’s coming out of our mouth while taking our time and devouring it slowly. I hope you give this a whirl. If you do please let me know how you liked it. It is one of my favorite ways to cook a steak nowadays.

How do you like to cook your ribeye steak? Leave me a comment and let me know how you serve them up!

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Also, learn more about another simple way I have about cooking a juicy steak featuring products by Primal Kitchen! CLICK HERE

 

Other products you might enjoy cooking with:

 




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Paleo Pot Roast With Parsnips RECIPE Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker – When Comfort & Simplicity Collide

Paleo Pot Roast With Parsnips (Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker)
Paleo Pot Roast With Parsnips (Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker)

The fall weather is approaching and that means meals like pot roasts and soups will be in full swing in my kitchen. For cool weather meals, I also like to bust out my slow-cooker. The slow-cooker is a perfect tool to use for when you want a meal with minimal effort. It is great for busy workdays or school days. All you need to do is a little prep, set it, and forget it. Today I will share with you how I made my paleo pot roast slow-cooker and the recipe for it.

The meat and veggies are the stars of the show. Simple ingredients and effortless steps to obtain an incredible meal.

This was our first time trying out parsnips. I wanted to be adventurous with this roast and add something new to it so we went with that. My daughter, Chloe, actually loved them and my husband was on the fence about it (he is somewhat picky). I really enjoyed them and would continue to use them in my roast recipe. I would actually probably add another one or two next time I make pot roast with them.

Continue reading “Paleo Pot Roast With Parsnips RECIPE Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker – When Comfort & Simplicity Collide”

Paleo Turkey & Turmeric Chili – Gluten-Free – A Healthier Approach To Chili

Paleo Turkey & Turmeric Chili simmering in the Staub
Paleo Turkey & Turmeric Chili simmering in the Staub

It seems a bit early in the year still for chili but temps are cooling down a bit here in Michigan and I so ready to make my first batch on Sunday night. This version that I created was totally paleo (gluten-free) and this time around to keep it paleo I avoided kidney beans, which I usually do love to use in my chili. I also usually use ground beef and I switched it up and went for a lean ground turkey. I had a craving for some paleo turkey chili and I had to make it to satisfy my craving! The added turmeric was a nice touch as well. My husband and I reveled in this bowl of comforting chili. There is just something so comforting about eating chili. It is always satisfying and it is also so simple to make!


How I created this paleo turkey chili

This chili will make quite a few servings. I would say anywhere from 4-6 servings, depending on how much you place into your bowl. It started off with garlic and onion sauteed in the Staub until it reached a nice translucent, golden color. You will need a large pot to prepare the chili in. I love to use my Staub dutch oven for meals like this. The Staub is a heavy-duty piece of cooking equipment. It is very durable and built to last a lifetime. I always enjoy cooking with it.

Then came the lean ground turkey. I broke that up with a wooden spoon and continued to brown it. I seasoned the turkey with some organic chili powder, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. This was my first time using turmeric in my chili so I was not sure how we were going to like it.

While the meat was browning I also added in some diced red and green bell peppers. Every chili needs to be chock full of peppers for me. Peppers in every bite! For this chili, I also decided to add some chopped zucchini pieces.

Once the meat was cooked and browned I added in an entire can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. This is my favorite brand of tomato products that I currently use. Muir Glen is an organic line of tomato products and they always lend an extraordinary flavor to the dish I am preparing. You can read more about Muir Glen HERE and their principles as a company. They are outstanding!

I allowed this chili to simmer for a couple of hours. This can also be prepared in a slow-cooker and simmer all day in there. Just be sure to brown/cook the meat before putting it in there.

Continue reading “Paleo Turkey & Turmeric Chili – Gluten-Free – A Healthier Approach To Chili”

Cacao, Coconut, Granola, and Collagen Smoothie Bowl – RECIPE – Let’s Talk About Cacao!

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In this post I will discuss how I made a collagen smoothie bowl with cacao, coconut, and granola. Hope you enjoy!

One of my favorite Thunderbird Bars is the Cacao + Hemp + Walnut. I am a sucker for anything chocolate and this bar wins me over big time! This bar is paleo and vegan friendly. Thunderbird Bar does not mess around with any crap ingredients. What you get in a Thunderbird Bar is REAL FOOD.

I will tell you the ingredients so you can see for yourself:

  • Dates
  • Hemp seeds
  • Walnuts
  • Coconut shreds
  • Cacao
  • Cacao nibs
  • Chia seeds
  • Mint
  • and Himalayan sea salt

But how on Earth can something like chocolate be good for you? Chocolate gets a bad reputation often and gets classified as junk food. If you consume chocolate in it’s purest form it is surprisingly great for you!

I am going to talk about the health benefits now:

  • Cacao is chock full of antioxidants. Antioxidants combat cancer invasion and can be used as a preventative measure of cancer. It can help prevent a decline in the aging process.
  • Cacao is an iron powerhouse. Of all the plants in the universe, cacao has the most iron. If you are anemic cacao can be used to boost iron intake.
  • Cacao is high in magnesium
  • Cacao is high in calcium (more than cow’s milk!)
  • Cacao is known to be a mood elevator and can help lift you out of a bad day
  • Cacao has fiber. The brand that I used has 2g of fiber per tablespoon.
  • Cacao is free of sugar!
  • Cacao contains vitamin C. The cacao that I had has 10% of your daily value.

Continue reading “Cacao, Coconut, Granola, and Collagen Smoothie Bowl – RECIPE – Let’s Talk About Cacao!”

Homemade Alfredo Sauce With Garlic & Lemon Served With Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Noodles – Awesome Sauce With Chef Shamy

Sometimes there is a dinner so phenomenal I just have to share. My husband and I had an appetite for some Fettuccine Alfredo. That is a dish that I used to make often and I have made it so much that I now have my sauce totally perfected. My secret to a great cheesy sauce like this is to use quality ingredients and you gotta have some fresh lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Homemade Alfredo sauce just can not be beat! Keep reading to learn more!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce With Garlic & Lemon Served With Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Noodles
Homemade Alfredo Sauce With Garlic & Lemon Served With Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Noodles

I have been trying to eliminate as much gluten as possible from my diet. It seems to be improving my health both mentally and physically so I am sticking to it. I have not reached a point of total elimination of gluten but I have cut down significantly. I needed a gluten-free, thick noodle to go with my alfredo. I ran into some difficulty at Kroger finding such a noodle and then I found it! I found some freshly made noodles that are made out of sweet potatoes. How perfect! I did have some fear in the back of my mind, though, that Joe would not approve. I took a leap of faith and added it to my ClickList anyway.

Now the details on the sauce. I have been going on and on lately about Chef Shamy’s gourmet butters.  I have a variety of flavors stocked in my fridge at the moment and figured my best bet was the Chef Shamy Garlic Butter with Parmesan Cheese and Basil. I can not say enough good words about this butter. Seriously guys, order some of this butter on Amazon and you will not regret it! I think that this butter really made my homemade Alfredo sauce shine. The butter gave it a marvelous flavor!

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I used about 1/4 cup of that butter in my sauce along with one pint of Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream.  Once I had the butter and the heavy cream well incorporated I added a great big squeeze of my favorite minced garlic from Spice World. My knife skill are no good and I do not enjoy mincing garlic so I go the easy route with my trusty squeeze bottle. I also added in some Italian Seasonings, salt, and a good crack at a peppercorn medley. I continued warming the sauce and then very slowly added some Simple Truth Organic Parmesan Cheese.

All of my ingredients were then well integrated and I almost had the perfect sauce. What I like to do to my alfredo Sauce is use the lemon juice from a freshly squeezed lemon (no picture here but you probably know what a lemon looks like). I simmer my sauce a bit more and let that lemon juice infuse the sauce.

The Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Fettuccine noodles were simple to cook. Just boil up the water, separate them well, and drop them in. The noodles were nice and al-dente in 3 minutes. I then drained the noodles well and I mixed the sauce and noodles up in one pot to ensure that every noodle was smothered in my cheesy sauce.

I like to put black pepper and red pepper flakes on top of my pasta and serve some lemon slices as a garnish, just in case you need another squeeze of that zingy lemon.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce With Garlic & Lemon Served With Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Noodles

So how does it look? I think it looks marvelous and I’m going to give myself a pat on the back for this dish. I am pleased to say, as well, that Joe 100% approved of these sweet potato noodles. He and I both agreed that they didn’t have a bit of funkiness or weirdness to them. I am being sincere here when I say that you wouldn’t have an idea that they are gluten-free unless I told you so.

I would also love to give a shout out to Chef Shamy for hooking my fridge up with a bunch of their tasty gourmet butter. I will most definitely be experimenting more with them in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen. You can find out more about Chef Shamy by clicking this nice little link HERE.

Do you have any tips or tricks on making a decent alfredo sauce? Feel free to share here and let us all in on your secrets!

Grab two tubs of Chef Shamy’s Garlic Butter on Amazon. Give it a whirl!

 

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. PROCEEDS FROM THE AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM HELP MAKE THIS BLOG A BETTER BLOGGING EXPERIENCE FOR MY READERS.



Make A Gluten-Free SmashMallow Brownie S’mores Pie to Celebrate National Smores Day – RECIPE

Heads up! National S’mores Day is August 10th this year. You can not celebrate the day without some delicious marshmallows. Look no further than to Smashmallow! I came across their marshmallows a few months back and fell in love with the delightful flavors that they have available. These are no ordinary marshmallows… these are next-level!

What are SmashMallows?

Smashmallows marshmallows are shaped like cubes and are light and fluffy. They make an excellent snack or are also excellent components in recipes that call for marshmallows. These little bites of bliss will take your taste buds on a trip to happiness and joy! The great thing about these marshmallows is that they are made with organic cane sugar, they are non-GMO, and they are naturally gluten-free. Also, each SmashMallow comes in at 20 calories per piece. 4 pieces are considered a serving so one serving size of this yummilicious treat comes in at only 80 calories.

Smashmallows flavors

Smashmallows are available in flavors such as: Strawberries & Cream, Cinnamon Churro, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookie Dough.

Edited to add that there are now more flavors of SmashMallows available!


There are also SmashMallows Crispy Rice Treats!

SmashMallows Crispy Rice Treats Strawberry and Mint Chocolate Chip Variety
SmashMallows Crispy Rice Treats Strawberry and Mint Chocolate Chip Variety
SmashMallows Cinnamon Churro Crispy Rice Treats
SmashMallows Cinnamon Churro Crispy Rice Treats

 

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SmashMallows come in a variety of fun flavors

 

 

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SmashMallow Strawberries & Cream
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SmashMallow Cinnamon Churro
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SmashMallow Mint Chocolate Chip
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SmashMallow Cookie Dough

Continue reading “Make A Gluten-Free SmashMallow Brownie S’mores Pie to Celebrate National Smores Day – RECIPE”

Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker Easy-To-Do Healthy Popsicles Made At Home – REVIEW + RECIPE

Summer may be winding down here but when is it ever a bad idea to enjoy a homemade frozen treat? Never! Making my own popsicles at home is a new venture for me. I have dilly-dallied around with making my own ice-cream on occasion and found that to be a fun experience. Making homemade popsicles is an easy treat to prepare and I can even have my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe help me out with this project. In this post I will be discussing the Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker.

Kombucha popsicle with passion fruit and blueberries

 

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Chloe with her dragon fruit popsicle

Zoku has a product line that includes popsicle-making kits. I had the opportunity to try out the Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker and also the Zoku Character Kit. You can enjoy your homemade popsicles in as little as 7-8 minutes. In order for this to work, you must place the Quick Pop Maker (the inner core) in the freezer overnight. Once this has been in the freezer for at least 8+ hours you pour your desired juice into the popsicle maker with the popsicle stick in place. It is so wonderful to have a product like this so you can conveniently whip up a tasty frozen treat in a matter of minutes. Need a healthy dessert? No problem! Having this quick and easy device on hand will produce that nutritious dessert that you desire.

Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker
Zoku Character Kit

Check out the video below to see how simple the Quick Pop Maker is to use!

The Zoku Character Kit includes several stencils that you use with sliced fruit to make fun faces on your popsicles. Honestly, we found this quite difficult to do because the popsicle opening is not very wide and fruit needs to be razor thin in order for it to be placed inside.

You start out by using the stencils on your fruit. You then apply the cutouts to the face plate. The next step is to place the frozen Quick Pop Maker on the stand and insert face place. Press the face plate up against the top side of the mold and hold for 15-30 seconds. You then remove the face plate and pour in your favorite fruit juice after you put the popsicle stick into position. Allow the pops to freeze for at least 8 minutes.

My favorite pop that I created was made by using fresh passion fruit and also a bit of Juice From The Raw‘s Passion Fruit Cleanser juice. Making that particular pop is simple and easy. What I did was scooped the guts out of the passion fruit and placed it on the little green board (faceplate) and then inserted it inside the pop maker (while pop maker is in vertical position) and pressed the board up for 30 seconds to get the fruit in place. After your fruit is inside the pop maker place the pop maker in an upright position, place the popsicle stick in place, and then gently and carefully pour the juice inside. There is a fill line inside of the pop maker. I can not stress this enough but do not let your juice contents go above that fill line because you will have a very difficult time removing that pop. I had my juice go very very slightly above that fill line and ran into a problem removing it.

Passion Fruit Popsicle
Kevita Kombucha Blueberry Passion Fruit Popsicle
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Svelte Vanilla Protein Shake Popsicle
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Svelte Vanilla Protein Shake Popsicle

The wonderful thing about the Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker is how versatile it is when it comes to ingredients. The possibilities are endless and all rely on your imagination. We made a popsicle with Kevita Raspberry Lemon Kombucha and we also made a protein pop with Svelte French Vanilla Protein Shake.

Final Thoughts

My overall opinion of the popsicle maker was that it was a little finicky to get it to work properly. There is a learning curve to this. It takes a lot of trial and error to get the popsicle to come out correctly. We were not successful at producing a popsicle with a fun face with the character kit. I just could not get the fruit sliced thin enough to go into the cavity. However and despite all of this it was very fun to use and a fascinating project for my daughter to work on. Teamwork and creativity resulted in some tasty frozen treats!

You can find out more about Zoku on their social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

If you feel inclined to give this a whirl I have added the links to these items. They can all be found on Amazon.


DISCLAIMER: Zoku sent me these products to review. All opinions stated here are my own. This is my honest review. Also, this post contains Amazon affiliate links. I receive a small commission if items are purchased through those links.

Love Unicorns = Rainbows

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RECIPE – Devil’s Food Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts – To Die For Goodness

I have a confession to make. I am addicted to my donut pan! I picked one up last weekend at Mile’s Cake and Candy Supplies in Clinton Township and I am so glad that I did. It is so much fun to work in the kitchen with my daughter making these healthy-ish gluten-free baked donuts. I went with a 6-cavity donut pan from Wilton. Wilton is a trusted source when it comes to baking supplies so I felt very confident purchasing this pan for the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. I did not use this pan for the recipe below but it would be best going with this pan. I used a flexible heart-shaped silicone mold with the donuts in the recipe and they were difficult to remove from the mold. So trust me here, go with a Wilton pan. You will thank me later. The cooking times are the same for either pan.

Wilton 6-cavity donut pan

We went a little overboard decorating these devil’s food donuts. We gave these donuts a generous sprinkling from 3 different jars of rainbow sprinkles. Why? Because variety is the spice of life. Gotta have my sprinkles right?!! We did not eat these sugar skulls, they were just for decoration.

Instead of using an actual egg we created our own “eggs” with ground flaxseed. For these you place 4 tablespoons of flax in a coffee grinder and grind them up. When these 4 tablespoons of ground flax are married to a half-cup of water this results in an egg-like mixture. Just whisk away and wallahh… flax eggs! They are vegan and paleo friendly. You can also do the same with chia seeds. So if you are ever out of eggs just bust out your flax or your chia and make your own eggs!

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Devil’s Food Chocolate Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts
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Some of the ingredients I used and also a heart-shaped donut pan from FoodStirs

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup coconut flour (I used Arrowhead Mills)
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder (I used Livfit)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • Sprinkle Himalayan salt
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (I used Spectrum)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup (I used Simple Truth)
  • 4 tablespoons flax seed (I used Arrowhead Mills)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
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Your flax “egg” will have an egg-like consistency after soaking in water a few minutes.

Recipe:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. While oven is heating up prepare your flax “eggs”. Place 4 tablespoons of flaxseed into a coffee grinder and grind them up. Place grounded up flax into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Whisk it up. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and it will get an egg-like texture.
  3. Work on dry ingredients first. Place coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt into your stand mixer and mix until well combined.
  4. Now for the wet ingredients… add your flax “egg” mixture, coconut oil (1/3 cup), and maple syrup. Mix until well incorporated.
  5. Fill donut pan cavities up 2/3 of a way to the top of the mold. They will puff up while baking in the oven.
  6. Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350 degrees.
  7. Remove donuts from the oven and allow to cool.
  8. Prepare your chocolate glaze by placing 1/2 cups of chocolate chip and 1 tablespoon of coconut into a bowl. Microwave in 15-second increments. Continue stirring the chocolate and oil until completely melted.
  9. Dip your donut in the glaze. Allow it to see a few minutes for the glaze to set up.
  10. Eat and enjoy!
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Devil’s Food Chocolate Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts

Have you ever made your own homemade baked donuts? How do you enjoy yours? Do you think this is something you would like to try? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you!

If you are interested in creating your donuts you can pick them up at Amazon.

Wilton 6 Cavity Donut Pan

Wilton 6 Cavity Donut Pan 2 Pack
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

 

 

 

 

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