Month: February 2014

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

Erin Cameron-Murillo1 Comment

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My mother and sister make, quite possibly, the World’s best pot pie. The crust is tender and flaky, the gravy is thick and creamy, and the chicken is always juicy. It is packed full of flavor and you can never quite seem to get enough. This recipe is a derivation on their original and I dare say, comes pretty close in terms of flavor. Surprisingly, the almond flour crust is a fantastic substitute for the gluten version. It crisps up nicely, but definitely needs a quick egg wash to achieve a deep caramelized color.

The Crust

Ingredients

3 cups almond flour
2 large eggs
4 T. cold butter, cubed
1/2 t. salt
1 t. honey

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse until the butter is distributed and the dough forms a ball, about 15 pulses.
3. Separate into 3 pieces, wrapping one tightly in plastic wrap. Combine the remaining two pieces and wrap in plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate until firm.
5. Roll out the larger piece to fit your pie plate, making sure to leave a little extra overhang for combining with the top piece. Refrigerate until firm.
6. Reserve the smaller piece for the top of your pie.

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The Filling

Ingredients

2 large carrots, peeled & diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 T. butter
1 T. dried thyme
1 T. dried rosemary
2.5 T. tapioca flour
.25 cups almond milk
1.5 cups chicken broth
.5 cups heavy cream
12 oz. cooked, shredded chicken
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 egg, well-whisked (for egg wash)

Method

1. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Boil the carrots until al dente, 5 minutes.
2. In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, butter, thyme and rosemary. Cook until the onions are translucent.
3. Create a slurry with the tapioca flour and almond milk, making sure to fully dissolve the flour.
4. Slowly add the broth and heavy cream to the pot.
5. Bring to a boil and stream in the tapioca slurry.
6. Once the gravy has reached the desired consistency, take off the heat. You can always add more tapioca slurry if you want the sauce thicker.
7. Fold the chicken and carrots into the gravy.
8. Pour the mixture into your prepared pie crust, making sure not to overfill.
9. Roll out your reserved dough to slightly larger than the diameter of your pie pan. Place on top and crimp together with the edges of the bottom crust.
10. Brush the top and edges with egg wash. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
11. Bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes, or until brown on top. It will take longer if the pie is completely frozen.
12. Cool for 20 minutes, to set the crust.

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Paleo Fudgy Brownies

Erin Cameron-Murillo2 Comments

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It seems that the only thing I’ve been craving lately is chocolate. I’ll take it any way I can get it – in coffee, in a cookie, even in savory sauces. This weekend I couldn’t get my mind off the delicious brownies that were sold in my old café. They were gooey, rich and had just the right crunch on the top. These are the caveman version with walnuts, chunks of bittersweet chocolate, and an intense chocolate punch worthy of the Paleo Fudgy Brownie name.

Ingredients

11 oz. maple syrup
2.25 oz. cocoa
8 oz. sunflower butter
1 T. vanilla
3/4 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 large egg, whisked
4 oz. walnuts
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate chunks

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and coat an 8″ square pan with avocado oil (any oil will do).
2. Warm up the maple syrup in a saucepot on high heat, just until it bubbles.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the cocoa in 3 batches, whisking it in completely before adding the next portion.
4. Whisk in the sunflower butter, combining until homogenous.
5. Turn off the heat, then add the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and egg. Whisk until combined.
6. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks.
7. Pour unto prepared pan and spread evenly.
8. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until the top is set and it is somewhat firm to the touch. Don’t overbake it if you like fudgy brownies!
9. Let cool and for the best results, cut with a disposable knife (or a knife coated with oil, so the crumbs won’t stick).

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes

Erin Cameron-Murillo2 Comments

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These cupcakes need no introduction. Chocolate. Raspberry. Decadence.

Cake (Yield: 12 regular cupcakes)

8 oz. almond flour (finely blanched!)
1/8 oz. coconut flour
1/2 oz. cocoa powder
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
4 oz. dark chocolate (I love Guittard 72%)
2 oz. high quality butter, unsalted
4 oz. maple syrup
3 ea. eggs
1 T. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift together the almond and coconut flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda and salt.
3. Combine the dark chocolate and butter in a microwave bowl. Melt on high for 30 seconds, stir. Continue melting in 10 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted. Cool while you prepare the next step.
4. Combine the maple syrup and eggs in a large bowl. Whip on high for 6 minutes. The eggs should be pale yellow and very light in texture.
5. Stream in the cooled chocolate butter mixture, whipping until combined.
6. In three batches, fold the flour mixture into the eggs, not quite combining each time. When you have added the last batch of flour, fold until the mixture is homogenous and there are no streaks of flour.
7. Scoop into cupcake liners with a 2 oz. scoop (or until they are about 3/4 full).
8. Bake 15 minutes, or until the top is set and almost springs back to the touch. Do not overbake.
9. Cool on a rack completely.

Chocolate Coconut Ganache Filling

1 can coconut milk
1/4 c. honey
1/2 oz. cocoa powder
1 T. vanilla

1. Combine coconut milk and honey in a medium sized heavy-bottom saucepan.
2. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat to low.
3. Stirring occasionally, cook 1-2 hours, or until it has reduced by half and is the consistency of sour cream.
4. Whisk in cocoa and vanilla, stirring to combine.
5. Taste and add honey if it isn’t to your desired sweetness.

Raspberry Compote Filling

10 oz. frozen raspberries
2 oz. water
2 T. honey
1 T. arrowroot powder (with 1 T. water – make a slurry)

1. Combine raspberries, water and honey in a saucepan on medium-high.
2. Cook until the water has mostly evaporated.
3. Add the arrowroot slurry and cook for a few seconds more, until thickened.
4. Cool and store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Buttercream

4 oz. egg whites
8 oz. coconut palm sugar
3 oz. water
1 lb. butter, softened
6 oz. dark chocolate, melted
1 t. vanilla
pinch salt

1. Whip the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until they are medium peaks.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a sauce-pan. Bring to a rapid boil and cook to 248°F.
3. Slowly pour the cooked sugar into the whipping whites while on high.
4. Continue whipping until the bowl is cool to the touch.
5. Add the butter in chunks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Continue whipping until combined.
7. Stream in melted chocolate until combined, then add vanilla and salt to finish.

To Assemble the Cupcakes

1. Hollow out the center of each cupcake with an apple-corer. Don’t take out too much cake, especially on the bottom, or it will be difficult to eat.
2. Pipe in the raspberry compote to fill the hole half-way.
3. Pipe in the ganache to fill the hole to the top.
4. Frost with buttercream and garnish with a fresh raspberry (if desired).

Note: These cupcakes will last for about a day, but are best on the day they were baked. Also, the cake can be baked in a 1/2 sheet pan or smaller round cake pans and made into a fantastic birthday cake!

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Erin Cameron-Murillo2 Comments

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The foundation for this cookie recipe is actually from a peanut butter cookie recipe that my grandmother used to make. It was about as simple as they come: 1 cup peanut butter (only Jif, of course), 1 cup sugar, 1 egg. Mix it, scoop it, fork it, bake it. They were delightful. As a pastry chef, I used this recipe (with a few additions) as my go-to recipe when I needed something simple, gluten-free and delicious.

I originally hoped to mimic the recipe with almond butter and make an equally delicious nutty cookie. After the first attempt, I was disappointed in the flat, lifeless results from my freshly ground Whole Foods almond butter. On a whim, I threw in some almond flour and chocolate chips. The result? Quite possibly one of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted. It has a hint of almond flavor, but it really tastes like an old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie. The crumb is delicate, the flavors well-developed, and finishes with just a hint of honey. Best of all? It’s still nearly as simple as my Grams’ original.

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Yield: 24 medium cookies (1.5 oz. each)

13 oz. almond butter
4 oz. honey
3 oz. almond flour
2 oz. coconut palm sugar
2 ea. large eggs
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips (or chunks)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine everything except the chocolate chips in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine.
3. Stir in chocolate chips, distributing evenly.
4. Portion into 1.5 oz. balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or Silpat), spacing evenly apart (they will spread slightly). Flatten a smidge.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, or just until the sides are set and golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Hints:

1. I like an extra-chewy cookie, so I slam my pan on the countertop after taking the cookies out of the oven. This makes for a somewhat fudgy consistency that melts in your mouth.
2. You can also refrigerate (or even freeze) these little gems and bake them fresh. If you freeze the dough, be sure to let them defrost before you bake.