I miss you guys! What’s happening? What’s new? How’s your pumpkin carving/Halloween costuming/PSL consumption going this year?

We are a bit of a Halloween-neutral family. We will dress up if there’s a party to go to, take the kids trick-or-treating, buy a few pumpkins and hit the fall festival scene, but we don’t love Halloween. We like it just fine, but it’s not our favorite holiday. I am always last minute with the costumes and the candy and what not. This year E had planned on being a ghost (BEST DIY COSTUME EVER, SCORE!) but changed his mind and now wants to be a plane (!!?!?! How do I make that!?!) So now the plan is make a cardboard plane, and then little L can go along and dress as a cloud. We’ll see if this plan actually goes forward.

Making these cheesecake bites provided me the perfect opportunity to continue procrastinating on the costumes this week. There was a last minute opportunity to bring a dessert to our house church and I wanted to make something pumpkin-y, but not TOO pumpkin-y, if you know what I mean. Dessert spreads can really be pumpkin overkill this time of year.

The first thing that came to mind was to pumpkin-ize this old recipe for chocolate-covered cheesecake bites. I remember really loving them the first time around and I thought they’d be a great bite-size party treat. I tweaked the recipe a bit and everything turned out perfectly. I love when that happens!

If you are grain-free or gluten-free, you can still make this recipe. Try Carrie’s grain-free graham crackers or  Shauna’s gluten-free graham crackers. If you are dairy-free/vegan/paleo, I feel for you, I love you, but this one’s not gonna work for you. BUT, behold these amazing-looking vegan pumpkin cheesecake pops! They look very similar and would totally work for you, yay! Everyone’s tummies are happy.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

 

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Prep time

10 hours

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

11 hours

 

adapted from Handle the Heat makes about 36 squares

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 36

Ingredients

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (regular, gluten-free or grain-free as needed)
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (substitute more cream cheese here if you prefer)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (I used coconut sugar, you could use date sugar as well)
• ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 16 ounces chocolate for melting (refined-sugar free, if necessary)
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• more crushed graham crackers, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 square baking dish with foil and grease with butter or non-stick spray.
2. To make the crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a small dish. Press mixture evenly into your pan and bake 8-12 minutes, or until light golden and fragrant.
3. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees.
4. To make the filling: Beat cream cheese, mascarpone (if using) and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add in yogurt/sour cream, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and beat until just combined. Pour mixture over the crust and bake 35-40 minutes or until the cheesecake is slightly puffed and the center is set. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
5. Refrigerate until chilled (about 2 hours) then place in the freezer, 8 hours or overnight.
6. To coat: Once the cheesecake is frozen, lift it out of the pan and gently peel away the foil. Using a sharp knife, cut the cheesecake into 36 squares. Place in the freezer until you’re ready to dip them.
7. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or double-boiler until smooth. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Dip the squares, one at a time, in the chocolate. Let the excess drip off and place on the prepared sheet. Top with graham cracker crumbs, if using. Then refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is set.
8. Trim excess chocolate, if necessary, and serve cold. Store in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

3.1.09

It’s been a minute since I posted a savory recipe, hasn’t it? It’s been all juice concoctions and coffee cake and pancake stacks up in here lately.

It’s a lot easier to post things like fat pancakes and banana bread that  I can photograph during nap time than it is to catch a photo of what we’re actually eating for dinner. (All my food bloggers out there know what’s up.) I have lots of savory meals I’d love to share with you, I just have to figure out the logistics.

I have a bit of a thing with breakfast/breakfast-for-dinner foods. More specifically, baked eggs. The last savory item you saw here on Oven Love was Baked Eggs with Spinach and Bacon, which is a no-brainer combination that I had to share. If you haven’t tried those yet, add ’em to your list- you won’t be sorry.

Now here I am putting a whole skillet of baked eggs in your face. Can you blame me, though? I would eat a tree branch if it were covered with runny egg yolk. (Ugh, please, no one take me up on that.) Dippy eggs for life!

You guys this is a ONE DISH meal. All you need is the skillet. Hallelujah for less dishes! I am the queen of the giant, everlasting dish pile. If you’ve ever spent more than an hour or two at my house, you’ve seen it. You also might have seen it here.

It is also a FIVE-ingredient meal (if you don’t count the cooking fat, salt and pepper). Win.

By the way, I have been toying with the idea of writing an e-cookbook of five-ingredient meals. The recipes would be whole-food, grain-free and labeled as Paleo/GAPS/Whole 30/Blah-Blah-Blah.  Meals like this one that are simple, but not bland. Easy, but still interesting.

Is that something you guys would be into?

Because if you’re into it, I’m into it! I feel like I’ve gotten into a bit of a same-old-same-old rut with the blog and I need a new project to inspire me. If that idea sounds lame and you want me to just continue posting and keeping things normal, then I’m cool with that, too. I just want us all to be a big, happy family with full, happy bellies.

If you have any other cool ideas you think I should take on, share those with me, too! I’d love to hear about them.

Also, a few more things about this meal:

• You can swap out the salmon for any other hearty fish or meat (or even more veggies)
• You can substitute kale, spinach or another dark leafy green for the chard
• You can use pre-cooked salmon for a meal that comes together even faster
• You should probably smother this with mashed avocado, just to be safe

Salmon, Swiss Chard and Egg Skillet

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 12-16 ounces fresh salmon (or other hearty fish)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bunch Swiss Chard, chopped (stems included if you like them)
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• salt and pepper
• 4-6 eggs
• fresh herbs for garnish (optional; I used a bit of basil on top)

Instructions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. When the skillet is warm, add the butter until it sizzles. Add the salmon and cook on both sides until it flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes per side (depending on how thick your salmon is). Set the salmon aside. **You could also use previously cooked salmon to make this an even faster dinner.**
3. Scrape any bits of salmon skin off of the pan and add more butter, if needed. Fry the onion in the butter until it begins to soften. Add the chard and continue cooking until it wilts. Then add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the vegetables are soft.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, flake the salmon into large chunks with a fork. After the veggies are cooked through, add the salmon to the skillet. Give it one gentle stir to incorporate.
5. Crack the eggs on top of the salmon mixture. Put the whole skillet in the preheated oven and cook until the eggs are set to your liking (anywhere from 5-15 minutes). Check them often so you don’t overcook and serve immediately out of the oven.

3.1.09

Feels good to be home.

Feels good to be home alone, with no babies. Just for the day.

Feels good to do some cooking, take some pictures and be leisurely about writing a blog post.

(Also feels good to watch old episodes of Friday Night Lights while I do.)

The kids and I were traveling and visiting family for the last two weeks, and we were lucky enough to have my parents come back to spend the July 4th holiday with us. While they were here, we went down to Lane Southern Orchards for their celebration. They’re a huge producer of peaches here in GA and they make an awesome peach cobbler. Since I’m on GAPS, I couldn’t enjoy Lane’s cobbler while we were there, so the idea of a grain-free cobbler has been bouncing around in my head for a few days.

Today, since I’m home alone, I finally had the chance to mess around in the kitchen. I took one bite and I knew I had to sit right now and blog the recipe right away.  Now, I’m not a real Southerner, and I haven’t had many cobblers in my life, but the taste and texture of this recipe is just what I expected a cobbler to be.

This is one of those grain-free recipes that I think anyone (grain-free or not) would enjoy. You can rest easy serving this to a wide range of guests- it’s grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free if you want, paleo, full GAPS, vegetarian and vegan-adaptable if you want.. really simple and crowd pleasing. Great choice for a summer potluck if you bake it in an 8×8 pan- or you can bake it in ramekins I did (in the hopes that I wouldn’t eat the whole thing in one sitting. I’m doing good on that so far, but it’s touch and go.)

This would be delicious served with ice cream, whipped cream or coconut whip (I actually meant to top it with coconut whip, but it’s too hot in my house to make any. The A/C is out so it’s kinda roasty in here).

I feel like maybe these cobblers are my little grain-free ode to Georgia.. we’re 5 weeks away from leaving and I’m starting to get sentimental about the place. Sentimental meaning I am eating a whole lot of peaches, saying a lot of y’alls, listening to Down Home Girl on repeat and seriously watching too much Friday Night Lights.

And tonight, I’ll be eating cobbler while I watch, y’all. Georgia forever.

4.7 from 12 reviews

Grain-Free Peach Cobbler (Paleo, GAPS)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Adapted from The Healthy Home Economist- http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/no-grain-peach-cobbler/

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups peaches; peeled, pitted and sliced
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 4 tablespoons butter (I use KerryGold) or coconut oil
• ¾ cup almond flour (I use Honeyville)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• cinnamon and nutmeg, for topping
• full-fat coconut milk, heavy cream or ice cream for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a saucepan, add peaches and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice the butter into pieces and place them into 4-6 small ramekins or an 8×8 baking pan. Place the ramekins or baking pan in the oven and let the butter melt.
4. While the butter is melting and peaches simmering, mix the almond flour, coconut milk/cream, egg, honey and vanilla until well-combined.
5. Remove the baking dishes from the oven and pour the batter on top of the butter and do not mix. Drain the peaches and spoon them evenly over the mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the top.
6. Bake the cobbler for 25-30 minutes or until they look brown and bubbly.
7. Serve warm with a drizzle of full-fat coconut milk, heavy cream or ice cream.

3.1.09

I heart quick dinners. Don’t we all?

Some nights there just isn’t time to mess around with the oven and the pots and the pans and the measuring cups and the nonsense.

Some nights I just pull out the cast iron and see what happens.

The night I made this skillet, I was lucky enough to have some cooked rice, some beans and some Aidell’s Cajun-Style Andouille Sausage* hanging around. So creole/cajun/jambalaya-style skillet it was. It came together lightening fast since the rice and sausage were already cooked, but it wouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to get that taken care of, so still a quick dish in my book.

This one was a winner for the adults in our household, but it was a bit spicy for the kids. If you want to make a kid-friendly version, I would go easy on the spices and use a milder variety of sausage. Still a yummy combo, I’m sure.

If you’re not really into the cajun/creole thing, maybe try Italian sausage and cannelini beans or really anything else from the pantry or fridge that sounds good to you. That’s the best part about skillet dinners- you can just throw more stuff in until it looks like a meal. (Spoken like a true food professional, amiright?)

*P.S. This post is not sponsored by Aidell’s, I just like them! They are the best option at my local grocery store for natural link sausages.

2.5 from 2 reviews

Creole Rice Skillet with Andouille Sausage

 

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The prep time includes cooking the rice and sausage.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or lard
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups cooked rice, any variety
• 4 andouille sausage links, cooked and chopped
• 1½ cups or 1 drained and rinsed can of red kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika (I use smoked paprika but any kind will do)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (or both)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

1. In a cast iron skillet, heat the butter or lard over medium heat. Saute the onion and bell pepper until they begin to soften.
2. Add the rice, sausage and red beans. Stir and let cook until warmed through.
3. Add the spices and stir until completely coated. Serve warm in the skillet.

#version#

You guys, I bought a donut pan!

I found it at T.J. Maxx for like five bucks, so it basically jumped in my cart and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Now we can have donuts together every day!

I want to know who came up with the maple bacon combo first. I would like to shake that person’s hand. And then give them a hug that lasts too long and gets awkward. Because I love bacon and maple syrup together- it’s the work of a genius.

Maple bacon. Get on the bandwagon, friends!

As most of my treats have been lately, these are grain-free, gluten-free and paleo (as long as you use the appropriate sweeteners). These types of treats are probably supposed to be occasional.. but I ate two of them in one day. Just keepin’ it real for you. They’re good!

Are you guys enjoying the new recipes lately or did you prefer the old ones? I want to keep bringing you recipes that you would actually like to make some time. Can I get a little feedback? Be honest if you don’t like all the paleo stuff, but be kind.

These pictures keep making me lose my train of thought.. gah, these donuts were good! I love bacon and maple syrup and butter. The end.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Maple Bacon Donuts (Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo)

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Baked Goods, Dessert

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup unrefined sugar (I used date sugar, you could try coconut sugar or maple sugar as well.)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon maple extract
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• ½ cup coconut milk or cow’s milk
• 6 tablespoons grass-fed butter (such as Kerrygold) at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon maple extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you like)
• 3-4 pieces of bacon, cooked

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a donut pan with butter or cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the coconut flour, baking soda and unrefined sugar. Make sure there are no lumps (break the lumps up with your fingers if you need to).
3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, maple syrup, maple extract, applesauce and milk. Add to the coconut flour mixture and mix until thick and smooth.
4. Spoon the batter into a piping bag and pipe the batter into the donut pan (You can spoon it in, but it will be messy- the piping bag makes it really easy to fill the pan). Bake the donuts for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
5. While the donuts are cooling, make the maple buttercream. In a stand mixer, combine the butter, maple syrup, maple extract and cinnamon until well combined. When the donuts are completely cool, spread on the buttercream and top with bacon. Keep in an airtight container- the donuts are best eaten within a day or two.

#version#

It’s been a rainy morning here in GA today. Even the clouds know it’s a Monday.

Though it’s pretty sad-looking outside, the rain has not deterred us from having a lovely morning so far. I am still on my happy-husband-high from a weekend away (at Chateau Elan, ooh la la!) and I will ride it as long as it lasts!

Our answer to this dreary weather is muffins. Pumpkin streusel muffins.

I do my fair share of baking, but I am not the main muffin baker of my family- that title goes to my mom. Nana loves a good muffin, particularly if it’s stuffed with nuts/fruit until it’s bursting out of the wrapper. She loves to make a giant batch of her Morning Muffins when we come home to visit and she has a stainless steel bowl for mixing her batters that is bigger than.. well, it’s just huge.

She is probably going to text me as soon as she sees this and ask me to freeze a few for her next visit.

(Hi, Mom! We can make some more while you’re here.)

I went with pumpkin simply because we had some pumpkin puree leftover from pumpkin pancakes a few days ago. I added the streusel because I (have no self-control and) cannot resist that sweet crunch. If I’m going to make muffins, I’m gonna do it up.

The muffins are grain-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar free and paleo. The main ingredients are pumpkin, eggs, coconut flour, and butter/coconut oil. The recipe is pretty easy to pull together and they’d still be yummy without the streusel if you want to save some time.

I had a question on Facebook about alternative flours and I’d like to say a little bit about them in case these new ingredients are freaking you out. I debated for a long time about investing in these new ingredients because 1) they’re expensive in small quantities and 2) I was so used to wheat flour and didn’t want to adapt. I started by transitioning to a gluten-free flour mix first (King Arthur has one you can find easily) and then started experimenting with grain-free flours.

Coconut flour, almond flour and other grain-free/nut flours do not act the same as traditional wheat flour- they do not contain gluten, so they need binders like eggs or flax seed to make successful batters. Recipes using these flours are dense- they don’t rise up the way that wheat flour does, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t tasty. They also have the added benefit of fiber and other nutrients that wheat flour does not. If you are new to baking with these flours, I suggest following your first few recipes closely before you start experimenting with substitutions.

I buy my almond flour from Honeyville and my coconut flour from Tropical Traditions. Both companies have sales and bulk purchasing that you can take advantage of to save some money.

And P.S. That heart-shaped butter is just a coincidence, but consider it a happy Valentine’s-Day-related coincidence. Love you guys!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Baked Goods

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• For the streusel:
• ¼ cup softened butter or coconut oil
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons unrefined sugar of choice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (I used half walnuts and half macadamia nuts. Pecans or almonds would be great, too. If you like chunkier streusel, you don’t have to pre-chop the nuts.)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut chips or shredded coconut
• For the muffins:
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup melted coconut oil or butter
• 6 eggs
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup coconut flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line it with 12 muffin liners.
2. To make the streusel topping, combine the butter/coconut oil, almond flour, unrefined sugar, sea salt, nuts and coconut in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are loosely combined. Set aside.
3. To make the batter, whisk pumpkin, coconut oil/butter, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Add spices, baking soda and coconut flour and whisk until it thickens up.
4. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups. Top with the streusel. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10-20 minutes. (To make sure the streusel doesn’t get too brown, you can top the muffins with some foil about half way through baking.)

3.1.09

This new blog feels like a giant, open room that I can’t wait to furnish. I am excited to fill this blog with new, fresh recipes.. maybe some old favorites, too.. I am loving it!

This recipe is a little bit old and a little bit new. I’ve always (I mean, since I’ve been a grown adult and learned how to roast vegetables) loved brussel sprouts and potatoes, but adding in fresh herbs takes it up a notch in  sophistication. Luckily, it doesn’t increase the work much. What is it about fresh herbs that seems so fancy?

I’m planning on fashioning a special herb garden for myself this season- I’ll keep you updated on how that goes (or if it goes at all- I’m notorious for not keeping up with plants). My little man is eager to help me- maybe he’ll be the key to keeping things green this year. (Lord knows he loves a watering can.)

Sometimes the easiest recipes are the most satisfying. (Thank goodness!!) What are your favorite ways to use fresh herbs?

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Ingredients

• 1 small bag brussel sprouts, rinsed and halved
• 1 small bag fingerling potatoes, rinsed and halved (or quartered)
• melted butter or olive oil to coat
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a 9x13inch baking dish, combine brussel sprouts, potatoes and butter or olive oil and toss to coat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the salt, rosemary, thyme and pepper and crush together with your fingers. Sprinkle over the vegetables and toss again.
4. Roast for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and the brussel sprouts are starting to caramelize and turn brown.
5. Let cool a bit and serve along side your favorite main dish.

3.1.09