Wild Orange Pound Cake

My niece gave me a tiny bottle of dōterra Wild Orange Essential Oils the other night.  I used it in the following recipe, and I LOVED the results.  Thanks, Patty! This is a VERY moist cake, despite the coconut flour, so be sure it is completely baked before you take it out of the oven.  (See Method)

Another  note: You can't use all brands of essential oils internally. This is what makes dōterra stand out in terms of purity and quality. However it can be unsafe to use just any oil that way.  Read labels and do some research before you do anything  crazy.  By the way, this recipe would be delicious if all you added was some orange zest.

Also, for those who have had unhappy results with my Maximized Lemon Pound Cake recipe, I apologize. I did not have trouble with the "falling apart" issue the first time I made it, although I heard from those who did. Believe it or not, I have been trying to find the solution to that problem ever since!  I have deleted that recipe from this Blog, and I think you will find this a much improved final outcome. We were extremely pleased.



Frankly, I think this beats Starbucks Lemon Loaf by a mile!

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Blanched Almond Flour

1/3 cup Coconut Flour
8 Extra Large Organic Eggs
7 oz Organic Cream Cheese
8 T Organic Butter (1 stick)
1T Vanilla Extract 

5-9 drops Wild Orange Essential Oils
2 t Baking Powder
½  t Salt
1/3 cup Stevia/Erythritol blend (Available at Bulk Barn)

Method:

In a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl mix with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter with the stevia/erythritol blend until well mixed.  Add the cream cheese; then add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, then the essential oils.  Next add all the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  

Get the mixture right into a well-greased loaf pan.

Bake @350 for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown on top. 

Using a cake tester ENSURE THAT CAKE IS COMPLETELY DONE THROUGHOUT.  You may want to lightly cover the top with a tent-piece of aluminum foil for the last few minutes.

Cool Completely before removing from the loaf pan.

Serving Size: 10

Hail Caesar Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 tsp dijon mustard, at room temperature

1 Tbsp chopped garlic, (3 cloves)

2 anchovy fillets, drained

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup organic olive oil

¼ cup avocado oil

½ cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

METHOD:

Place the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, 1 ½  teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process for 15 seconds. Combine the olive and avocado oils in a glass measuring cup. With the food processor running, slowly pour the oils in a thin stream down the feed tube, as you would to make mayonnaise. Add the grated Parmesan and pulse to combine. This recipe yields two cups salad dressing.  Store in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

It's that time of year.  Zucchini is over-running your garden beyond your wildest expectations.  Here's a recipe to utilize that gorgeous ingredient that I think you'll really enjoy.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2  cup cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 large eggs
4  tablespoons (1/4 cup) coconut oil, room temperature
1 cup monk fruit/erythritol blend sweetener
1 1/2 cups zucchini, grated and drained/squeezed to dry out
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions
In a food processor combine almond flour and cacao powder.
Pulse in salt and baking soda.
Pulse in eggs, coconut oil, and sweetener.
Briefly pulse in zucchini. (Add 1/2 cup walnuts now if you prefer.)
Transfer batter to a coconut-oil-greased 6.5 x 4 inch medium (preferably glass) loaf pan.
Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes. Loaf is done when cake tester comes out clean.
Cool for 2 hours.
Serve

Herb Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs

I used parchment paper between the Salmon and the aluminum foil, because BJH was watching me as I prepared this dinner at the lake. Probably always a good idea, though.  I did add extra time, however, because the extra layer kept the salmon and vegetables from cooking very quickly.

I also used broccoli florets instead of asparagus because that is what I had in the fridge.  Now we make the broccoli this way all the time, with or without the salmon! 

"Best broccoli I ever tasted." - CMH

Enjoy

Ingredients

·      4 boneless skinless salmon fillets, preferably wild caught

·      salt and pepper to taste

·      1 pound organic asparagus, ends trimmed

·      1 lemon, thinly sliced, (plus additional wedges for garnish)

·      ½ cup organic butter, at room temperature

·      3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

·      3 teaspoons minced garlic

·      fresh thyme or parsley, for garnish (optional) 

Method

1.  Season salmon generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Arrange one salmon fillet and ¼ of the asparagus in the center of one 12 x 12 inch piece of foil. Repeat with remaining salmon and asparagus on 3 other pieces of foil. Slide lemon slices under the salmon and asparagus.

2.  In a small bowl mix butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Drop large dollops of the herb butter on top of the salmon and asparagus.

3.  Fold the foil tightly around the salmon and asparagus, being sure to seal the ends together tightly so the juices and butter doesn't run out while cooking. 

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until asparagus is tender and salmon is flaky.

5.  Drizzle fresh lemon juice over the top and serve immediately.

KEY LIME INDIVIDUAL CHEESECAKE DESSERTS

This recipe is simple, elegant, and so easy to prepare. Make the crust (2 ingredients), blend all other ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor, and done!
Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) melted coconut oil

1 cup raw cashews soaked in very hot water; then drained.

1 can full fat coconut milk (well shaken)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

2 droppers-full of liquid stevia

4 limes, juiced and zested. This should yield approximately ⅓  to ½ cup of juice.

Method:

Line a JUMBO muffin tin with 6 jumbo cupcake liners and set aside. NOTE: It is best to DOUBLE the cupcake liners as this is a wet batter before it chills.

Place the almonds and melted coconut in a food processor and blend until the mixture is crumbly and sticks together when pinched between your fingers.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of this almond mixture in each lined muffin cup and press down to form a mini “crust.”

Place the muffin tin in the freezer for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the filling.

In a high speed blender or in a food processor add the drained cashews, coconut milk, stevia, lime juice, melted coconut oil and most of the lime zest.  Reserve some lime zest for garnishing the top of the mini cheesecakes.

Puree the mixture until smooth. Taste the mixture for tartness and adjust stevia if necessary. (Limes can be tricky.)  Pour the mixture into a measuring cup to make the next step easier.

Remove the muffin tin from the freezer when the crusts have hardened a bit and pour the filling mixture over the crusts.  Top with lime zest and chill in the refrigerator for approximately  4 to 6 hours to harden.  

Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Enjoy.