Creative paleo and gluten-free recipes
This post is sponsored by the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission.
With these six ways to top roasted sweet potatoes, everyone will be sure to find something they love. Pick one or two to make for dinner or go all out and try all six!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I’m here today to tell you about a delicious meal idea that, while not necessarily meant for Turkey Day itself, is certainly perfect for any busy night (or day or even morning) of the year when you need some fast and healthy grub.
This post is sponsored by Rodelle.
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This chocolate pumpkin crème brûlée is a showstopping grain-free dessert that’s perfect for Halloween or any fall occasion. It’s also easy to make ahead of time!
Who’s excited for Halloween, all things pumpkin, and/or Season 2 of Stranger Things??
I am! I can barely think about anything other than the upside down. However, despite how pumped I am about the show’s return, I can definitively say that I am WAY MORE excited about this chocolate pumpkin crème brûlée. It’s the best dessert I’ve made in all of 2017 and possibly longer. It tastes amazing, it’s easy to make, and best of all, it’s really fun!
Let me walk you through the layers. On the bottom there’s a chocolate sauce. This is not just ANY chocolate sauce, though. It’s an intensely-chocolatey-but-not-too-rich chocolate sauce, like what you might have gotten on your sundae at a really good old-school ice cream parlor.
Initially, I was worried I wouldn’t love the sauce. It’s cocoa-based, so there’s no melted chocolate, and there’s also no cream and just a tiny bit of butter. When I tasted the sauce on its own I was happily surprised by how good it was, but when I tasted it along with the finished crème brûlée I was blown away by how much I loved it. With the addition of chocolate extract and without the distracting richness of cream or cocoa butter, the chocolate flavor shines through in a way it doesn’t in most chocolate desserts. I know this may sound paradoxical, but the chocolate flavor is richer because the sauce itself isn’t that rich. As a foil for the super creamy pumpkin layer, it’s just perfect.
This post is sponsored by Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties.
These bolognese stuffed zucchini with pesto are a satisfying and summery Whole30 meal made with organic tomato basil sauce, ground beef, and plenty of fresh pesto on top.
How is summer treating you so far? Here in Chattanooga it’s been nice and hot (just the way I like it!) and we’ve been getting in a lot of swimming. I’ve also been working on my tan while doing my farm share work, and loving the first rounds of summer produce showing up, like zucchini, basil, and even a few tomatoes.
I used my early squash to make these bolognese stuffed zucchini with pesto, which combine seasonal vegetables and a few pantry staples to make an easy but hearty paleo dinner.
And no, I’m not suggesting you make a true bolognese sauce that needs to simmer away for hours in this heat. This is a bit of a cheater’s bolognese, because we’re letting Uncle Steve’s do the hard work for us. Their organic tomato basil sauce is so flavorful that all we have to do is brown the ground beef with a little onion, and stir in the sauce. The resulting filling will fool all your lucky dinner companions into thinking you worked all day to handcraft an authentic Italian sauce.
This post is sponsored by Cavit.
This refreshing strawberry and avocado salad with candied pepitas is a perfect way to enjoy spring produce, perhaps alongside a glass of crisp pinot grigio.
Guess what? Yesterday was my birthday, and tomorrow is the very first National Pinot Grigio Day! With so much to celebrate, I decided a really fun salad was in order. This strawberry and avocado salad is loaded with sweet and salty candied pepitas, vibrant radishes, fresh romaine, and a cumin-lime dressing. I’ve been making various iterations of this salad for a few weeks now, and when I have them on hand I also like to add thinly sliced scallions and sugar snaps and a handful of fresh cilantro leaves.
This salad pairs incredibly well with Cavit‘s pinot grigio, which is light and refreshing with a hint of fruity flavors and only a tad bit of sweetness. It’s cold-fermented in cutting edge thermo-conditioned tanks, which make it taste extra fresh and springy. I recommend enjoying a glass of well-chilled pinot grigio on your porch or in your backyard alongside a big plate of this salad.
This post is sponsored by Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties.
Eggs in purgatory with sausage and kale is a hearty and delicious breakfast that’s Whole30 compliant and perfect if you like to start the day with a little heat.
How do you feel about a little spice in the morning? Personally, I’m a big fan. A spicy breakfast helps me wake up, kick starts my day, and makes me feel ready for anything. So as soon as I got my hands on a jar of Uncle Steve’s Organic Arabbiata, I started dreaming about pairing it with eggs for an Italian power breakfast.
I was so excited to discover Uncle Steve’s sauces because they’re made with organic Italian tomatoes and short list of other clean ingredients: organic onions, garlic, basil, and spices plus sea salt. There’s no sugar anywhere in sight! If you’ve ever done a Whole30, you know how frustrating it can be to peruse labels in the grocery store aisle and find that most prepared sauces and stocks have cane sugar or other off-plan ingredients. Uncle Steve’s sauces are all vegan, gluten free, and paleo with no added sugar, so there’s no need to worry.
If you love a light and refreshing spring cocktail, this strawberry prosecco lemonade is for you!
It’s strawberry season! In case you couldn’t tell from my Instagram profile, I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve been picking strawberries at my CSA work share each week, throwing sliced ones onto salads, blending them up into smoothies, snacking on them plain, and making them into this strawberry prosecco lemonade.
I’m going to be sipping on this all spring and summer–it’s so refreshing and flavorful. VOVETI prosecco is made from 100% prosecco grapes and has a tempered acidity, but it’s not to sweet. In other words, it’s a perfect match for sweet strawberries and tart lemons. VOVETI has hints of pear, green apple, melon, and peach, which is another reason it goes so seamlessly with the fruity flavors of this drink. And of course, with the popping corks and fizzy bubbles, drinking prosecco always feels like a celebration.
This gluten-free strawberry buckle is easy to whip up and a great way to showcase spring berries for Easter or any occasion. Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post!
This buckle is another super easy recipe made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. (In case you missed it, last month I shared easy gluten-free vanilla cupcakes made with this flour blend that are also perfect for Easter!)
This gluten-free flour blend is my go-to for converting recipes that are not gluten free. Every time I’ve tried using this in place of all-purpose flour, it has worked perfectly! The taste and texture are spot on, so no one will miss a thing.
These grain-free crepes with apricot preserves are the perfect easy but special breakfast for Mother’s Day or any occasion. This post is sponsored by Bonne Maman.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a breakfast recipe, but I’m making up for it today by sharing these super simple grain-free crepes filled with Bonne Maman apricot preserves. The batter is easy to whip up by hand in just one bowl, and the apricot preserves provide the ideal balance of sweet and tart flavors for the filling. I like to serve these with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, and fresh berries, but the crepes and preserves are also great on their own! This is a great recipe to make for a Mother’s Day breakfast in bed or any other special occasion.
Bonne Maman preserves are my go-to for filling these crepes and any other time I need fruit preserves–they’re great for adding a hint of sweetness to savory recipes, too! All of Bonne Maman’s products are made with wholesome pantry ingredients and homestyle recipes that have stood the test of time. Their apricot preserves pack even more of a flavor punch than fresh apricots, thanks in part to the brown sugar and lemon juice that are added to the recipe. They’re also gluten free and Non-GMO Project verified. And right now, you can enter Bonne Maman’s sweepstakes to win a 12-piece Le Creuset cookware set, free preserves, and more!
This paleo potato hummus is smooth, flavorful, and ideal for spring get-togethers. No one will guess it’s made with potatoes! This post is sponsored by Potatoes USA.
If you’re looking for a paleo alternative to traditional hummus, I have a treat for you today! This legume-free hummus comes together in just half an hour and is made with Yukon Gold potatoes. The flavor and texture are so similar to regular hummus, though, that no one will be the wiser. Alongside a platter of vibrant crudités, this super-smooth hummus is sure to be a hit at your next party.
I made this paleo potato hummus for a family gathering a couple of weeks ago and told everyone that it was hummus with a bit of a twist. It was quickly devoured, and no one guessed that potatoes were involved. As someone who doesn’t feel well after eating legumes like chickpeas, I’m thrilled to have discovered this crowd-pleasing, bean-free version of hummus. With olive oil drizzled on top and a sprinkle of paprika, it’s the perfect counterpart to a spread of spring’s freshest veggies.
When you need a simple but scrumptious spring dessert, look no further than these easy gluten-free vanilla cupcakes! Thank you to my friends at Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post. Their gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour makes this recipe a snap!
It’s snowed twice in Chattanooga in the past three days, but I’m channeling spring with the blush tones of these easy gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. Now that we’ve sprung forward, the warm weather can’t be far behind, right?
Whether or not you’re buried under piles of snow this week, now is a great time to whip up a batch of these babies. They’re easy as can be and made with pantry staples, and are going to be on repeat around here for Easter, Mother’s Day, my birthday (hint HINT), and any old day that needs a sweet ending.
I use Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour from Bob’s Red Mill for these cupcakes. Bob’s Red Mill’s flours have always been my go-to. I usually bake with a mix of their super finely ground almond flour and tapioca flour, but this flour blend has won me over recently because it’s so convenient. You only need to measure one kind of flour, and it works as a cup-for-cup replacement for wheat flour in all sorts of recipes.
Bob’s has also recently come out with a paleo flour blend that I can’t wait to try in this recipe. And if you don’t follow a gluten-free diet, you can just use their regular flour here!
For these easy gluten-free vanilla cupcakes, I took an old family recipe for “little one-egg cakes” and made just a couple of substitutions: Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour instead of regular flour and butter instead of shortening. Boom! Easy and delicious vanilla cupcakes. No one will know that these are gluten free!
This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market.
Café brûlot is a fun and dramatic cocktail that will light up your Mardi Gras celebration.
Looking for an entertaining way to celebrate Mardi Gras at home? Look no further than this café brûlot cocktail. To make this iconic New Orleans drink, brandy and Grand Marnier are infused with citrus peel and whole spices, and then set on fire with a long match. To finish the drink and act as a fire extinguisher, hot chicory coffee is poured in. And although it’s not included in the traditional recipe, I like my café brûlot with a pillowy topping of gently whipped cream. It’s hard to decide whether the pyrotechnics or enjoying the drink itself are the best part of this drink!
See more photographs and step-by-step recipe instructions on Discover, a blog by World Market!
This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep A Calculated Whisk running!
These persimmon bacon bites with rosemary goat cheese are the perfect festive appetizer and only require four ingredients! This post is sponsored by Cavit in partnership with Honest Cooking.
If you’re looking for a craveworthy appetizer to keep your family happy while you finish cooking Christmas dinner or to pass around at a New Year’s Eve party, I have totally got you covered. These persimmon bacon bites are the best app I’ve eaten in recent memory, and are super cute to boot. They pair perfectly with a chilled glass of Cavit’s crisp Pinot Grigio, and the combination is pretty much guaranteed to put even the grinchiest of grinches in the holiday spirit. When you’re snacking on fruit with bacon and herbed goat cheese and sipping on tasty Italian wine, there’s just no way not to feel festive.
I just discovered persimmons this year and they’ve quickly become my new favorite fruit. They taste kind of like a delicious mashup between a mango and a papaya, and I find them incredibly addictive. I used fuyu persimmons here and haven’t had a chance to try other varieties yet, so I recommend finding fuyus for this recipe. They’re the ones that are kind of squat like little pumpkins and are not pointed at the bottom.
When I’m eating a persimmon plain, I like to let it get nice and soft so the insides are custardy and smooth. However, when you’re making persimmon bacon bites, you want to choose persimmons that are still a bit firm so the slices will hold together well. Once roasted, they’ll have that smooth texture of a perfectly ripe raw persimmon with an even deeper sweet flavor. The hint of rosemary in the goat cheese makes these bites taste fresh and seasonal, and the bacon ties everything together both literally and figuratively.
