Here’s a melt-in-your-mouth, dessert recipe for almond cookies. They’re great for a holiday gathering or after-dinner treat.

Ingredients:
– 2 cups almond flour *
– 1 cup Xylitol
– ½ cup chopped pecans
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– ¼ teaspoon all spice, more or less to taste
– ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, more or less to taste
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 1/3 cup coconut oil
– 2 eggs

Mix all ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Spoon out on cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

*Almond flour can be made by putting 3 cups blanched sliced almonds in a food processor and processed until smooth.

Looking for a chocolate fudge recipe? Here’s a melt-in-your-mouth, chilled chocolate fudge with walnuts recipe.

Ingredients:
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup almond butter
• 4 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• ¼ to ½ cup Xylitol
• 1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean scrapings
• ¼ tsp Himalayan Sea Salt(optional)
• ½ cup Walnuts

In a food processor, blend the cocoa powder with all of the ingredients (except the walnuts). Blend until well mixed like a thick cake batter. Stir in the chopped walnuts by hand. Now you may pour into a square pan for chilling or into individual truffle size foils. Freeze for an hour and move to refrigerator until ready to serve.

Want some yeast free breakfast ideas?
Try a breakfast BLT! Wrap tomato and bacon in lettuce leaves for a quick, on-the-go breakfast. For a little more protein, wrap deli turkey meat around avocado slices.

If you’re in the mood to bake, try this recipe for dense, nutrient-rich muffins:

Carrot-Apple Power Muffins
Ingredients:
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup whole, rolled oats (Quaker Old Fashioned)
• ½ cup Xylitol
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 egg whites
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup finely chopped tart apple (Granny Smith)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degress. Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg whites until fluffy. By hand, add dry ingredients and vanilla until blended, careful not to over mix. Then fold in carrots, apples and nuts. Prepare muffin pan with lined muffin papers or non- stick spray. Makes 12 small muffins. Enjoy!

Recipe by our own Kim Beale

Here’s a recipe featuring LAKANTO, a zero calorie, all-natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar. This gluten free, wheat free zucchini bread recipe is delicious.

Ingredients:  
• 2 cups Pamela’s Wheat & Gluten Free
Baking mix (or similar)
• ½ cup Lakanto
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini
• 1/3 cups Palm Oil (vegetable shortening)
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• Pinch nutmeg
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven 350° F. Grease & flour 9×5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, combine baking mix, Lakanto, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg. In separate bowl, combine shortening, zucchini, eggs, lemon zest. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake 55-60 minutes or until golden brown or when skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. (May take up to 1 ½ hours in some ovens).

Bring those tasty Lettuce Wraps home with this tasty menu.

 Ingredients:
• Two breasts of a rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1/4-1/2 raw red onion, diced
• Capers to taste (2 to 3 tsp)
• 2 roasted red and/or yellow bell peppers diced or sliced (jarred ones are fine)
• 2 generous handfuls of chopped, fresh parsley
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 to 3 handfuls of roasted, slivered almonds
• red wine vinaigrette
• lettuce

Mix the ingredients above (except the red wine vinaigrette and lettuce) together in a large bowl. When ready to serve, dress entire salad with a red wine vinaigrette or put chicken mixture into each lettuce leaf and then drizzle on the dressing for your at-home lettuce wraps.

Combine fresh herbs to give this roasted squash recipe its full flavor.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups assorted fresh, seasonal squash, cut into bite sized pieces
• Fresh tarragon, thyme and rosemary finely chopped *
• 1 T grape seed oil or cold pressed olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash in a large plastic storage bag. Drizzle the squash with oil and sprinkle with herbs. Seal the bag and toss to coat the squash with the oil and herbs. Then remove the squash from the bag and roast the squash in an oven safe dish, tossing a couple of times while cooking.

*Hints for using fresh herbs:
• Use primarily the leaves of the fresh herbs.
• Store unused herbs in the freezer in plastic storage bags for future use.
• Bruising or chopping the herbs allows the flavor to expand.

Fresh herbs are an excellent way to add flavor to any dish without the use of artificial additives, sodium, or fat. Try it.  You will love it!

Looking for salad dressing recipes? Here’s one that skips all the preservatives.
• 1/2 Cup Polaner All Fruit, Seedless Raspberry Spread
• 1/3 Cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 4-8 frozen, unsweetened Raspberries
• 1 tsp Cilantro
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4-1/3 cup Grapeseed Oil

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender or with a whisk until blended.
Add oil and blend. Chill and serve over cole slaw, spinach salad or fresh fruit.

Looking for good vegetable recipes? Try this healthy dish using butternut squash and carrots. It’s also known as Mulligan Stew.

Wash, dry and grease a small to medium Butternut Squash. Poke it with one or two small holes for steam to escape. Preheat oven to 375° and bake for one hour or until tender or soft to the touch. Remove peel and seeds from center of squash, placing the meat of the squash in a food processor.
Steam one package of baby carrots over chicken broth until tender. Combine the carrots and squash in a food processor and puree until smooth. Put puree in a mixing bowl and add

• 2 tbsp of Butter or Olive Oil
• 2 tsp of dried orange peel
• 2 tsp of cinnamon or allspice
• 1 tsp of sea salt

Blend together and place in a casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
This can be frozen in a casserole dish. Thaw completely prior to baking. ENJOY!

Looking for a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe? You can make this tasty treat at home.
• 1 Cup Xylitol
• 1 1/2 – 2 Cups of Pumpkin
• 1 T Almond Flour
• 2 Eggs (seperated)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Cloves
• 1/4 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 2 T Butter

Mix all ingredients together except for the milk, egg whites, and butter. Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside. Heat the milk and butter until the butter melts and then mix into the pumpkin mixture. Then, fold beaten egg whites into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into a half-baked pie crust shell. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, then at 350 F for 45 minutes.
Delish!

Prepare some boiled chicken breast and shred them. Sauté with the following ingredients – Use based on your tastes

• 1 1/2 cups of xylitol
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter, unsalted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup of crushed pecans
• 1 cups of pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine the xylitol, salt, melted butter and vanilla; and mix well. Add the slightly beaten eggs and mix. Fold in the crushed pecans. Pour into a 9 inch almond pie crust shell. Cover the mixture with the pecan halves (arrange in a pretty design) and bake for 45-55 minutes. Best if eaten the same day.

For Almond Pie Crust
• 2/3 cup of almond or cocunut oil
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 2 to 2 1/4 cups almond flour
Mix above ingredients together and then roll out onto wax paper with a small amount of the almond flour to prevent sticking. Since the almond flour is not as porous as wheat flour, you may need to press it into the pie plate. Crimp edges, then add your pecan pie filling.

Recipe submitted by Bernadette H.