Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cinnamon Icing

The Players

For the Pumpkin Cake
1 c pumpkin puree
1 c almond butter
1/2 c raw honey
2 eggs (from pastured hens!)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t vanilla extract
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves

For the Cinnamon Icing
1/4 c coconut butter
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c raw honey
1 t cinnamon

The How-To

For the Pumpkin Cake

Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a medium sized bowl, combine all the cake ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Pour into an 8×8 oven safe baking dish (I suspect you could squeeze 12 cupcakes out of this recipe if you use a muffin tin). Bake until completely cooked through, about 30 minutes.

For the Cinnamon Icing

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and use either your mixing blade attachment or a whisk to beat the ingredients until fluffy.

Once the pumpkin cake has cooled, cut it into 9 squares and remove from the pan. Now…if the cake isn’t completely, 100%, no doubt in your mind, cool you are not allowed to proceed. I’m telling you, if your cake isn’t cool, the icing will just slide right off into a pile of goopiness and all will be wasted. If you haven’t experienced what disastrous-ness comes from not heeded the above warning, you only need try it one time to learn.

Use a small offset spatula or a spoon and drizzle the frosting over the top.

Store the Pumpkin Cake Bars you haven’t immediately annihilated in the fridge. The icing will harden in the fridge, let it come to room temp if you’d like it soft. If you’d like it softer, faster (for the impatient types, like myself) the frosting will melt beautifully if you stick the cake bar in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Goes great with your morning coffee or tea!

No-Churn Ice Cream Recipe: Honey Cinnamon

The Players

4 C. cream from grass-fed cows (raw is best!)
2 C. plain yogurt
4 egg yolks (from pastured hens)
1/2 C. raw honey
1 T. ground cinnamon*
The How-To

1. Begin by whisking the yogurt, egg yolks, honey, and cinnamon together until smooth.

2. In a separate bowl, whip your cream until medium peaks form.

3. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the whipped cream.

4. FREEZE for at least 6 hours before serving. ENJOY your tantalizing, delicious, super-easy, no-churn ice cream!

I just read an interesting tip from Sarah at The Healthy Home Economist. She says that you can add a couple tablespoons of vodka to the ice cream mixture before freezing to improve scoopability straight out of the freezer.

tacos de lengua

2 pounds beef tongue
2 to 3 quarts water
1 small white onion, quartered
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1 celery rib, cut into 4 pieces
1 guajillo chile, torn into pieces
4 bay leaves
1 whole clove
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired, and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 4- to 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed*

Garnishes:

Chile de arbol salsa or your favorite salsa
Avocado slices
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

1. Place tongue in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Add white onion, carrot, celery, guajillo chile, bay leaves, clove, salt, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender. Transfer tongue to a cutting board, cover with a damp towel, and set aside to cool. Strain and reserve the stock for another use. When cool, peel and discard skin of the tongue. Cut meat into 3- by 1/2-inch julienne strips.

2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the red onion until well browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in jalapeno and sauté 2 minutes longer. Then add the tongue, and sauté until lightly browned. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place warm tortillas on a work surface. Line each with sautéed tongue mixture. Serve immediately, topped with salsa, avocado slices, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

bacon tomato cappelini

2 packages (16 Oz. Package) Bacon, Naturally Flavored
½ cups Bacon Grease, From The Bacon You're Cooking
2 cans (28 Oz. Cans) Diced Tomatoes, Nothing Added
½ cups Chopped Fresh Basil
2 cloves Fresh Garlic, Minced
1 bunch Chopped Green Onions
2 teaspoons Salt, Optional
1 box (16 Oz. Box) Capellini Or Angel Hair Pasta

Preparation Instructions

Fry bacon in a large frying pan, making sure it’s cooked thoroughly but not too crispy. Drain cooked bacon on paper towels, but don’t throw away the grease in the pan! You want to reserve 1/2 cup bacon grease. Dump the rest of the bacon grease out, then put the skillet back on the stove without cleaning it. Trust me. When the bacon is cool, use your fingers to tear it into small pieces. (Please, don’t ever use store bought bacon bits in this recipe.) Set your cooked, crumbled bacon aside.
Now, open your tomato cans and dump them into a large bowl. Throw in the chopped fresh basil and stir. You want to be able to see the basil, distributed evenly in the tomatoes, so if you have to add more, you can. Set this bowl aside and let the flavors mingle while you do the next step.
Dice your garlic, and chop your green onions. Pour your 1/2 cup of bacon grease back into the skillet and heat it to medium. Throw in and saute your garlic and onions. When they’re getting a nice tan from the color of the bacon grease, add your bacon. On low heat, saute the bacon together with the garlic and onions for around ten minutes. When you start getting high from the smell in your kitchen, pour in the bowl of tomatoes and basil. Stir together really well, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook your pasta according the directions on the package. Drain noodles and set aside. Right before serving, in a very large bowl, add the bacon/tomato sauce to the noodles and mix well.
This stuff is also pretty amazing reheated the next day. I usually just pop it into the microwave for a minute or two.

cilantro pesto

1 (16 ounce) package farfalle pasta
1 bunch fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.
In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss.

blueberry marinated salmon

Make a blueberry marinade by combining half a cup of blueberries, a large clove of crushed garlic, a teaspoon of grated ginger, two tablespoons of roasted sesame oil, two tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, two tablespoons of soy or tamari, and the juice of half a lemon. Add some finely chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds for texture. Cover your wild Alaskan salmon in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for an hour if you have the time. Wrap the salmon in tinfoil and bake it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the cut.

peanut butter kale

In a bowl mix three heaping tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter, two tablespoons of rice vinegar, two tablespoons of soy or tamari, half of a small finely chopped onion (red works really nicely), a teaspoon of brown sugar or maple syrup, and a generous squeeze of sriracha sauce. Prepare the kale the same way as the broccoli above—flash-steamed until it’s bright green—then turn down the heat down and begin mixing the peanut butter concoction into your kale, tossing until covered. Serve at room temperature.