Mexican Chocolate Pudding Souffles with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Sarah

It must be the colder weather.

I’m craving spicy in everything from cheese stuffed Anaheim peppers to fruit smoothies kicked off with ginger and cayenne. (Seriously, you have to try this mixture of ingredients in the blender – fresh pineapple, oranges, lemons, coconut oil, honey, ice, fresh ginger and cayenne pepper. Yum!!!!)

So you won’t find it hard to believe me when I tell you I made Mexican chocolate in two different forms two nights in a row. I hardly make anything twice in a row, so this was really something for me!

The idea started off with the leftover roasted yam in the refrigerator. It was so sweet and gooey I just had to add cocoa to it. And, with autumn in the air, there’s absolutely no reason why I shouldn’t put cinnamon and some heat in it, too.

Hello, again, cayenne pepper!

These delightful souffles are grain and gluten free, have no refined sugar, and are easily dairy free as well… if you leave off the whipped cream and use the alternative milk, of course.

Mexican Chocolate Pudding Souffle

2 c. cooked yam or sweet potato, preferably, not the starchy ones.
8 egg yolks
1/2 c. honey
1 T. vanilla
1 t. sea salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
3 T. coconut flour
1 c. cocoa powder
2 c. milk (cow, almond, any kind will do.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour all of the above ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl.

Combine…

8 egg whites
1/2 t. cream of tartar

…and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon mixture into 10-12 mugs (depends on the size of your mugs) filling just until 2/3 full.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees and bake souffles for 25 minutes.

Let cool slightly before topping with whipped cream and serving.

Cinnamon Maple Whipped Cream

1 c. whipping cream
2 T. maple syrup
1/4 t. cinnamon

Whip until desired consistency, or pour into a cream whipper.

I chose to bake these in mugs because warm mugs are just cozy and their easy and you don’t even have to grease them. AND, they leave the perfect amount of room on the top for all the whipped cream you could want. Well, maybe…

Bean, Cheese, and Vegetable Enchiladas

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Sarah

The cold front finally came in. It’s deliciously cool outside, slightly rainy, and feels like autumn.

I am always excited for this kind of weather because some of my favorite meals seem to call for cold weather outside in order to enjoy them to their full potential.

With spicy undertones and creamy filling, these vegetarian enchiladas fit the bill for just this kind of evening.

Bean, Cheese, and Vegetable Enchiladas

1 onion, chopped and sauteed
2 zucchinis, shredded
kernels from two heads of corn
3 avocados, cubed
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 lb sharp cheddar, shredded
2 cans pinto beans, drained
salt to taste
10-12 flour tortillas
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all the veggies…

…the cheese and the beans.

Brush oil onto a large casserole dish. Fill tortillas generously with veggie mixture and roll tightly. Lay seam side down in casserole dish and brush with oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas, leaving room between each enchilada.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy hot from the oven!

Celery and Heart of Palm Salad

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Sarah

There’s something about traveling that gets my taste buds going. I want to try everything that region has to offer and then, if it’s good, I want to go home and recreate it.

I spent 6 weeks in the Northwest this summer. I planned to eat my fill of local cherries, peaches, blueberries and other fruits Washington and Oregon have to offer, but somehow I missed the seasons for those. Regardless, we made our way to other local food shops that made up for it. Have you been to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Seattle?

Oh my! I think we went in three times just to try their samples. Pikes Place was chef’s heaven. I honestly can’t imagine what it’d be like to live close enough to a market place like that where you could buy everything fresh and go home to cook it for dinner. Sigh! We tried pastries at Le Panier, an authentic French bakery, and crumpets at The Crumpet Shop. Storyville got high ratings from my coffee connoisseur brother and, if we hadn’t eaten 5 breakfasts already, I would have ordered some of their amazing looking waffles. Just their logo makes me happy, but the whole place was pretty awesome.

As good as the food was in Seattle, it’s hard to beat my sister-in-law’s cooking at Lake Chelan. She always inspires me with her culinary prowess and her upbeat personality. The hearts of palm in this salad, along with the simple lemon dressing, are ideas I got from her.