A new post features the best features of fresh local spinach – green, earthy and nutrient-packed.

This week’s blogpost is a mini primer on sunchokes – what they are, how to prepare them and why they’re worth checking out!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies

dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar free

1 1/4 cups gluten-free baking mix with a pinch of xantham gum added (preferably brown rice-based), or spelt flour
1/2 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 oz coconut oil
5 oz maple syrup, preferably Grade B
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 ounces dark chocolate vegan grain sweetened chips (or 70-85% bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped into chip size pieces)

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and sea salt into medium bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix coconut oil and maple syrup together in a second medium bowl until smooth. Add vanilla extract and stir well.  Add flour mixture and stir just until blended  – the mixture will be crumbly. Add chopped chocolate and mix to distribute, kneading lightly in bowl to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Place each half on sheet of parchment paper. Form each into 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Wrap each log in parchment and again in aluminum foil; chill until firm, about 2-3 hours.  Dough can be prepared 3 days ahead at this point. Keep covered and chilled.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a thin sharp knife, cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. If the slices crumble or break apart, just press them back together in a disc shape.  Space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies appear dry (cookies will not be firm or golden at edges),  about 11 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Dough can be frozen in the log; slice and bake as directed but add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Makes about 36 cookies

adapted from Dorie Greenspan

I love a warm breakfast in winter that is full of flavor and spices.  This coconut milk-brown rice breakfast “pudding” combines all of the coziness of a Danish rice pudding – but without any dairy or sugar.  Brown rice is a gluten-free whole grain that is full of B-vitamins, minerals and fiber, while coconut milk is naturally creamy and sweet and provides a healthy fat for energy burning.  Cardamom and cinnamon are both great for stimulating the immune system and helping to keep blood sugar regulated, adding a naturally sweet flavor to start the day without any added sugar.  (Limiting added sugar in the winter is a really good idea for keeping your immune system strong.)

So whether you’re headed off to work or school – or on a morning hike up the mountains as I’ve been doing these past few days – enjoy this rice pudding topped with a few organic raisins and almonds, and feel nice and warm from the inside out with good, balanced, nourishment. Creamy and decadent wrapped in a healthy package – my favorite way to eat!

Breakfast Rice Pudding

serves 3-4

1/2 can coconut milk (not low-fat) – I like the Thai Kitchen Organic brand

3 cups leftover cooked brown rice, wild rice or a blend (brown basmati rice is especially good)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (freshly ground, if that’s an option)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons organic raisins (optional)

pinch of sea salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Gently warm until creamy and just beginning to bubble. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serve with whole or chopped organic almonds, walnuts, raw sunflower seeds or raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to add a good balance of protein, minerals and/or omega-3′s.

http://www.startribune.com/local/yourvoices/135744783.html

That said, getting close to the holiday season with food allergies and intolerances can be a big downer. What’s better on a dark winter day than a pan of spice cookies coming out of the oven – and what’s worse than not being able to have one?

Here is a soft gingersnap that avoids the major food allergens and gives all of the cookie goodness you could ever want.  I made a batch over the Thanksgiving weekend – and no one ever suspected that anything was different about them.

So cheers to a cozy kitchen and warming up the holiday spirit by sharing things made from the heart.  Enjoy!

Gingersnap Cookies (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free–Optional)

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 organic egg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cup spelt flour, gluten-free baking flour mix with a pinch of xantham gum, or whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda

In a medium bowl, mix coconut oil and maple sugar with a fork or wooden spoon until completely smooth and well-combined.  Add molasses and the egg and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add to the wet ingredients and stir well to incorporate. Dough will be very stiff.  Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to one hour.

Roll into balls and place evenly on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375º for 6-8 minutes until they are cracked on top. Bake less for a chewy cookie, longer for a crisp cookie.  Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack or brown paper to cool.  Stores best in a cookie tin.

Before whipping up your frosty summer cooler, learn how to open a young Thai coconut, by watching this video.

Perfect Piña Colada

1 young Thai coconut, top cracked open (or substitute 1/2 can Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk and 4-6 oz water)
1/2 organic pineapple, core and flesh, cut into large chunks*
juice of 1 organic lime
1 tablespoon maple syrup
ice

Carefully pour coconut water into a blender jar and scrape out all of the coconut meat, adding to the coconut water in the blender. Add pineapple chunks, lime juice, maple syrup and ice and blend to a frosty smooth drink. Add extra lime juice or maple syrup if necessary. Spike with dark Jamaican or Barbadian rum if desired.

Makes 2 large piña coladas

*organic pineapple is also available frozen in natural food stores and co-op groceries – making this even easier!

Enjoy!