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Bacon Dijon Spinach Salad with Cheddar Crisps (Low Carb, Gluten-free) | Wholesome Yum – Natural, gluten-free, low carb recipes. 10 ingredients or less.

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Bacon Dijon Spinach Salad with Cheddar Crisps (Low Carb, Gluten-free)

This delicious low carb salad is brimming with crunchy cheddar cheese crisps, crisp spinach, juicy tomatoes, and smoky bacon dijon dressing.

Bacon Dijon Spinach Salad with Cheddar Crisps (Low Carb, Gluten-free)

The ingredients for salad are readily available year round, but they are perfect for the upcoming summer months as spinach and tomatoes come into season. It’s probably a little early for that, but I just couldn’t wait to put this wonderful recipe out there. Make it now, make it later – if you’re like me, you’ll want to make it again and again.

Bacon Dijon Spinach Salad with Cheddar Crisps (Low Carb, Gluten-free)

After making my low carb spicy chicken cheddar nachos using cheddar cheese chips, I’ve been dying to try crumbling them up into a salad. I just knew that the crisps would create the perfect crunch. They’re like croutons, but subtract the carbs and add that wonderful sharp cheddar flavor. Then I thought, what else goes with cheddar cheese? Bacon! (Well, actually bacon goes with all kinds of things, but cheddar cheese is definitely one of them. I digress.) Well then, bacon dressing it is. Make it bacon dijon dressing, because that combination is just awesome. Throw in an array of spinach, tomatoes, eggs, and red onions, for the perfect splash of color.

Did I mention you have to try this salad?

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Spinach (chopped or torn into bite size pieces)
  • 2 large Eggs (hard or soft boiled, sliced)
  • 1/4 large Red onion (sliced)
  • 2 cup Grape tomatoes (halved)
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. After this,Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. To make the cheese crisps, place tablespoonfuls of shredded cheese onto the lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 6-10 minutes, until spread and melted (watch closely so they don’t burn). Transfer to a cooling rack to crisp up.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients in a blender. Puree until the mixture is emulsified and bacon pieces are very small. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add more oil or water to thin out if desired.
  4. After this cheese chips have crisped up, use your hands or a knife to break them up into bite size pieces.
  5. Toss the spinach with the dressing. Add the eggs, onions, and tomatoes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese crisps on top.

Salted Caramel Apple Muffins (Low Carb, Gluten-free) | Wholesome Yum – Natural, gluten-free, low carb recipes. 10 ingredients or less.

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These low carb, gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins have a delicious sugar-free salted caramel drizzle. Only 10 ingredients total!

Happy Fall, everyone! We’re still enjoying our trip to Switzerland, and these next few days are going to be all about hiking in the mountains. The views are beyond spectacular! The lakes are serene, the mountain peaks are staggering, and the air is crisp and fresh. There’s nothing like the Alps anywhere in the world. I wish I could stay here for at least a few weeks, but I’ll take anything I can get.

If there’s one thing I’ll be looking forward to when we return, it will be taking advantage of the fall apple harvest. September is peak season for apples. They are so crisp and sweet this time of year! One of my favorite ways to use them is making these low carb apple muffins with salted caramel drizzle.

Salted Caramel Apple Muffins (Low Carb, Gluten-free) - These low carb, gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins have a delicious sugar-free salted caramel drizzle. Only 10 ingredients total!

Now, before I get to the apple muffins, I have a confession to make.  As wonderful as apples are, my mind is elsewhere already. As the weather cools and my thoughts turn to fall, there’s one food on my mind more than any other – pumpkins! They’ll be here before we know it, and I’m trying to not to get ahead of myself, but I’ll admit I’m pretty excited. There are so many wonderful recipes to make with pumpkin. One thing at a time, though. For now, it’s apple season, and there are certainly amazing low carb ways to enjoy those, too.

Salted Caramel Apple Muffins (Low Carb, Gluten-free) - These low carb, gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins have a delicious sugar-free salted caramel drizzle. Only 10 ingredients total!

Take these salted caramel apple muffins, for example. What a deliciously healthy way to use up your apples throughout the early autumn season! They are low carb, gluten-free, and sugar-free, using a classic almond and coconut flour combination as a base. Easy recipes like this are great as many people have kids going back to school and need quick snacks to offer. With only 10 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time, these apple muffins fit the bill.

Now, let’s talk about the salted caramel drizzle. That is definitely the best part of these muffins, hands down. Compared to traditional caramel, the drizzle dries to a lighter color as it cools, but don’t let that deter you. It still tastes just like real salted caramel! I do think that they are best served warm, so that the caramel is nice and gooey. Mmm.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 parchment paper mini muffin cups into a muffin pan.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, 1/2 cup erythritol, cinnamon, and gluten-free baking powder.
  3. Melt 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of butter on the stove or in the microwave. Stir the melted butter, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon caramel extract into the flour bowl.
  4. Stir the apple pieces into the batter.
  5. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups (a large cookie or ice cream scoop works well for this), filling them 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
  6. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons erythritol, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/4 teaspoon caramel extract in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring often, for 3 minutes, until it turns golden brown.
  7. Whisk in the heavy cream. Stir in sea salt (taste and add more sea salt as desired). Simmer for a few more minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly, volume is reduced by half, and the color turns golden caramel. The sauce will harden and lighten in color as it sits, which is fine. Leave the sauce in the pan for now.
  8. When the muffins are finished baking, reheat the sauce as you stir, until it turns into a thick, golden liquid again. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce on top of the muffins.

A Very Asian Cold Treat – Durian Ice Cream (no machine involved) – Cloud of Cookmorphosis

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Well, my favorite month of the year has officially passed. It’s October now, hmmm, I am not very excited about this month, don’t know why. The only thing that makes me raise my eye brows when mentioning October is Fall season is here (and Fall, once again, is my most lovable season of the year). And that’s it. I’m not fond of Halloween, not a big fan of Oktoberfest, well, then what should I do in this month without involving with those big days of October? If you have any recommendation, feel free to do so, I do need some awesome advice thou.

Durian Ice Cream

I don’t hate October nor love it. Just every year, I did not have any excitement to begin with. September? I’m crazy about it. November? Gosh, Thanks Giving and Holiday cooking season, what not to love. And here it is, the only month in my most favorite season that I do not really enjoy. Did I underestimate October? Maybe. I know to most of you, October is all about Halloween: dress up, decorate, carve pumpkins and have fun. But for some reasons, I did not enjoy those at all. I did all of that activities before and to be honest, they’re not my things. Or things will be changed since this year, maybe. Because my crazy group of friends are brainstorming some freaking weird costume ideas that we will all wear on the night of darkness. Then I will find the excitement for the month all over again? Finger crossed.

Durian Ice Cream

It starts chilling here in Texas, just few hours of a day but it’s quite enough for now. The afternoon is the pain in the brain because the heat is still wandering. However, late night and early morning are awesome. I can feel the chilled air surrounded my silly face whenever I walk outside at these hours. I wish I could just close my eyes and open my arms as wide as possible, make a deep breathe and exhale out loud to clean out my lung with fresh air. But too bad, I might wake up my not-so-kind-next-door neighbors and scare the feral cat whom I’ve feeding for over a year away.

Durian Ice Cream

This chilling weather could not stop me from craving for ice cream. There is always time for ice cream regardless of how cold the weather is, don’t you just agree with me? Ok, so this recipe is not just about any ice cream guys. It’s durian ice cream, and for most of us Asian, durian is such an awesome and sacred fruit that we have ever had in our life. I love durian, love it so much that I can drink durian smoothie, eat durian ice cream as well as fresh durian at the same time. Maybe I should use the word “crazy” instead, right? Ok, let me say it again, I am crrrrrrazy about durian.

I have wanted to make durian ice cream at home so badly, and not until last week I had free time to do so. Gosh, my whole place smelled … of course … like durian and I bet Cloud and Rain were pretty much hate me the entire time I was cooking with durian. Yup, my precious kittens hate durian, in fact, I did chase them around with a spoon full of durian, ha ha (so mean, I know). The Lord hates it so much that every time he saw me take out durian, he runs away immediately. While Rain the Great is just gonna slowly walk away, he hates it but still wants to put his coolness on, I guess.

Okay, back to the topic. What is so special about this Durian ice cream that I’m bragging about, you might wonder? Number 1. There is no ice cream maker involved. That means: no maker – no problem. This ice cream is made from scratch, with regular cooking ware but it brings the most soft and moist texture that you could never imagine in any homemade ice cream. Number 2. You can actually make it right before eating. That means: no left-over or constantly re-frozen ice cream. Pretty good deal in this homemade ice cream package, right? It’s time for the recipe, and as always, enjoy guys!

Durian Ice Cream

P.S: I ate this yummy durian ice cream with some crushed ice, butter cookies and cooked sweet red beans. And it was the BOMB guys, a MUST try cold treat combo. Go for it (we can always spend extra hours for yoga and pilates to ‘throw away’ those sugar & fat, so don’t worry too much, that was what I did by the way. Go foolish with dessert? Yashhhh, please).

Ingredients:
2 c fresh or frozen durian meat
1/2 c condensed milk
2 c whole milk
Dash of salt
5 gelatin sheets (substitute for 1 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder)
Crushed ice
Cooked sweet red beans (– optional

Steps:

  1. In a blender, puree durian meat with condensed milk and 1/2 c of whole milk
  2. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice cold water until soft (if using gelatin powder, follow instruction on the package)
  3. In a stainless steel pan, heat durian puree mixture and the rest of whole milk on medium low heat, add salt, constantly stir until there are small bubbles formed on the milk surface. Remove from heat.
  4. Take gelatin sheets out of cold water and squeeze out excess water. Put them in the heated mixture, give it 1 to 2 stir until all the gelatin sheets are dissolved completely. (Do the same if using gelatin powder).
  5. Pour the mixture into a round or rectangular pan. Chill for 5 hours or until the liquid set completely.
  6. Use a knife, gently core the gelatin-like-durian-ice-cream into small cubes. Then transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze over night.
  7. Right before eating, take out the frozen durian ice icrem tray. It will be easy to break the cubes apart by hands or spoon. Then put several cubes in a blender, blend on medium speed or pulse 5-6 times until the texture becomes smooth and looks like ice cream. At this time, you can easily scoop durian ice cream. Serve immediately on top of crushed ice and/or cooked sweet red beans.

Vegan Black Bean Brownie Pancakes

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Oh dear. I may have outdone myself.

Vegan black bean brownie pancakes? Yes, I went there. And I’m soooooooo glad I did.

You see, I’m kind of a huge fan of brownies.
And I’m also kind of a huge fan of pancakes.
And I also have a huge crush on this thing called SUUUGGGAAAARRRRRR.
It’s like, Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme. Gimme some more. STAT. [<- Thor voice]

Yes, I may have a severe pancake/brownie/sugar/chocolate addiction, and this may satisfy all of those cravings. But that doesn’t mean these pancakes aren’t healthy. Because they are. Yeah, I said it. Healthy brownie pancakes. You will die.

Vegan Black Bean Brownie Pancakes
adapted from my vegan black bean 2-bite brownies
makes 10 pancakes | 1 healthy serving or 2 moderate servings

Ingredients
1/2 of a 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 flax egg [1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal + 2/5 Tbsp. water]
1 Tbsp coconut oil [or sub canola]
scant 1/4 c cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp flour [I used AP]
1/4 c vanilla soy milk
dash salt
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp sugar + additional sweetener like Truvia [extra is optional]
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp finely ground espresso powder or instant coffee granules
1-2 Tbsp non-dairy semisweet chocolate, chopped

Method | Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in a small bowl and letting it rest for 3-5 minutes. Next, combine black beans through espresso powder in a food processor omitting the flour and soy milk, and puree. Once combined, stir in the flour and soy milk until you have a pancake batter consistency, then add the chocolate. Give the batter a taste and adjust cocoa and sugar as needed. Pour batter in scant 1/4 c measurements onto a medium to medium-high heat greased griddle. The pancakes will bubble in the middle and become dry on the edges, that’s when you know it’s time to flip. Flip them gently as they are a more fragile pancake. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes and then plate for serving. Top with more chocolate shavings, chocolate sprinkles, peanut butter, agave nectar, or melted chocolate!

Sprinkle party,
Ey oh!

Wow you guys. Wow. Where do I even start?

These pancakes are moist.
They are rich, rich rich in chocolate flavor.
They are dense and a little crisp around the edges.
They taste like a friggin’, brownie.
Their deliciousness is multiplied by 1000 when doused in chocolate syrup.
They call for sprinkles. And maybe a cigarette afterwards.
OK I was kidding about the cigarette part. But definitely not the sprinkles.

Money money money money. Money! Money shot.

Whip it up baby. Make it for me…

Honestly, I could go on and on and on about these babies, but I won’t.
So instead, I’ll leave you with a few drool-worthy photos. That way you two can just have some time alone. You know, to yourselves, to get as intimate as you need to.

You’re welcome.

You know I couldn’t resist a little peanut butter on top…and it didn’t disappoint.

Enjoy these to the last bite, please! I know I did!

Edited to add: Approximate nutritional information in entire batch without additional chocolate on top.
Calories 596
Fat 24 g [mostly from coconut oil]
Fiber 17 g
Sugar 34 g
Protein 18 g

Vegan Morning Glory Muffins

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To me, nothing sounds more perfect than spending a weekend morning at a local cafe and dining on a delicious, hearty muffin alongside a piping hot latte.

But what can I say, I’m a dreamer. And because I live in a fairytale baking land, I make muffins all day long with a wooden spoon in my hand and a flour-coated apron as my dress. And although my muffins don’t grant me magical powers, they’re such a healthy, succulent snack that I can’t help but try new recipes when they come along, like this one.

Usually when I come across a recipe, if it has more than 10 ingredients I bail. Call me discriminant. I prefer minimalist. I just don’t like complicated things. I like to keep my baking as simple and healthy as possible.

If it has more than 1/2 a stick of butter or 1 cup of sugar, the deal’s off. Unless, of course, I can health-ify it, which is what I did with this one. You see all this fruit and vegetable goodness below? Would you like it to be in your muffin? I can do that for you. Yes, yes I can. Come now, I’ll show you how.

I modified this recipe quite a bit and amped up the fruit and veggie count. And guess what? They still turned out amazingly delicious. I must say, I’m proud of these little guys – in all their vegan glory.

Vegan Morning Glory Muffins

INGREDIENTS
3 flax eggs [3 T flaxseed meal + 6.5 T water]
1/2 c applesauce
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed
1/3 to 1/2 c brown sugar

2 c flour *
1 T ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 carrots, grated
1 apple, peeled & grated
1/3 c raisins [optional]
2 T chopped pecans

* in any combination. I used 1 c whole wheat, 1/2 c all purpose & 1/4 c coconut flour, which is very absorbent.

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium bowl whisk flax eggs, applesauce, banana, oil, brown sugar and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts and coconut into the flour mixture to coat.
Combine both mixtures in the larger bowl. If too dry, add a splash of almond  or soy milk.
Spoon into the muffin tins, filling totally full [or 3/4 if you prefer a smaller portion].
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden and a knife comes out clean.

Makes about 20 muffins.

20 of these little guys! Weeeeeeee!

I sampled one fresh out of the oven and was thoroughly pleased. And I took another obligatory ‘sample’ the next morning to make sure I wasn’t mistaken. I wasn’t.

The texture is moist and hearty, and the flavor is reminiscent of carrot cake. But don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a muffin for pansies. It’s a muffin for men. Men, and fiber-loving, butt-kicking women alike. Any takers?

So far I’ve only tried these plain and they were magnifique. But warming them up with a little butter and drizzle of honey sounds like a good idea to me. Or if you’re going the ‘defeat the whole health purpose’ route, top it with some cream cheese frosting. That’ll mess the whole thing up in no time! [thumbs up!]

But really, any way you slice it these are great. With tons of sweet carrot, apple and raisin flavor and a little crunch from the pecans, they sing fall with a hearty punch. I’ve already popped them in my freezer to grab as an on-the-go snack, which means I’ll likely be eating them morning, noon and night. Shhhhhhh.

What? Thanksgiving breakfast option? Who said that? Oh yeah, it was me. I’m plugging my own muffins. Get the hint?

Enjoy!

PB&J Oatcakes

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Allow me to introduce you to two of my very best friends: PB and J.

They’re besties, kinda like PB and banana. Except these two go wayyyyy back, which makes them old school besties.
They play well together, especially on top toast, bread, inside of cupcakes and more recently, on pancakes.

Awww, how cute.

I was inspired to make these pancakes after recently smearing melty PB and J on toast and falling back in love with my childhood favorite all over again.

The base of the batter is actual oatmeal, which makes them a slightly more dense, rustic pancake.
Plus, there’s no butter or oil and they’re completely vegan. So it’s more like a plus, plus, plus.

This isn’t your ‘might pass off as birthday cake’ pancake.
This is your ‘I really want cake for breakfast but still want to feel semi-healthy’ pancake.
Make sense? I sure hope so.
Because I wouldn’t want you to miss out on this fat stack of pancake bliss.

There is a touch of peanut butter in the batter, but then I went and added a generous helping on top, too.
I mean, do I really have to explian myself here?
Is more peanut butter ever really a bad thing?
No. Let me answer that. No, it’s not.

PB & J Oatcakes
vegan | makes 10 medium pancakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup non-dairy milk [like almond or soy]
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons sugar

Topping
2 Tablespoons each natural peanut butter and jelly

Method | Preheat griddle to medium-high heat [about 350 degrees]. Prepare oatmeal by combinging oats and boiling water in a bowl. Cover and let set for 5 minutes. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add remaining wet ingredients to oatmeal, including PB, and mix. Add wet to dry and stir until just combined. Scoop onto lightly greased griddle in 1/4 cup measurements. These take a bit longer to cook than traditional pancakes since the oatmeal gives them a lot of moisture – about 2-3 minutes each side. Top with melted PB and J. Dig in!

Holy cow! I mean, could anything really be less than marvelous with pb and j melted on top?
I think not.

Although they didn’t come out as puffy as I’d originally imagined, they were incredibly delicious.
The oatmeal gave them a moist and hearty texture. They aren’t overly sweet. And the PB&J is just phenomenal on top. Makes me forget maple syrup ever existed.

I simply couldn’t dig into these without slicing some banana on top first.
It just wouldn’t have been right. And I was totally right.

Banana takes these from an A to an A+.
Or an A+++, depending on how generous of a teacher you are.
And I for one am a very generous teacher.

That’s a good pancake. A very, very good pancake.

And now onto spelling. Class?

D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Delicious.
A +++++++++++++ for all!

Enjoy! : )

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