Whole-30 and Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Spring is finally approaching and I could not be more ready. New England winters drag. As much as I am grateful to have the four seasons, winter is by far the longest as the snow seems to come before AND after winter. But March is an exciting month for me because its means Spring is right around the corner, and my birthday is approaching. 

We had a snowstorm over the weekend so I decided to tackle something I have been wanting to make for a while, Sweet Potato Gnocchi. I'm not sure why the thought of making my own gnocchi was so intimidating to me, because this was super easy. It was so easy, I could make them with 30 minutes and 2 wild children running around cooped up in the house. 

If you decide to make these, be SURE to use Otto's Cassava flour. Some of the other Cassava flours that I have used smell and taste stale and come out gritty in recipes. 

After they're done, top with any sauce your heart desires. I made a simple lemon-garlic-butter sauce and put them on top of some sauteed spinach and kale for mine.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

(Whole-30, Paleo, Grain/Gluten-Free)

Serves 2

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (steamed, mashed, and drained)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Otto's Cassava Flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Process:

1. In a large bowl, mix mashed sweet potato, cassava flour, and sea salt until mixture forms a dough ball.

2. Divide mixture into 3 balls.

3. Sprinkle working surface with more cassava flour and roll into logs until each log is about 3/4" thick.

4. Slice logs into 1" pieces and move to a plate.

5. Boil gnocchi until they rise to the surface of the water.

6. Remove gnocchi and drain. Drizzle them with olive oil.

7. In a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan, saute the gnocchi over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.
8. Serve with your favorite sauce.

Paleo and Keto Mini Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecakes

Happy Friday, guys!

It's been a really nice week. Tristan, my five-year-old was on school vacation. We went to Disney on Ice, took trips to the library, and went to an open gymnastics hour today.  He even helped me bake a lot of treats, including these little cheesecakes. He is the cutest little helper, he loves to feel important. I realized that I need to start taking more photos of him helping me, he really does a wonderful job! :)

Even though I eat primarily grain-free, I was still consuming organic dairy frequently. I don't have any digestive issues with dairy, but it's always good to include less dairy from your diet. After all, cow milk is for baby cows, not humans. However, I cannot deny it is delicious.

I needed something to satisfy my cheesecake craving and these guys did just the trick. They are super easy to throw together for a last-minute dinner party or just as a treat for yourself. The kids loved these, and they were the perfect dessert for Tristan to help me with because you totally cannot mess these up. They require zero baking or heating.

I have a refurbished Vitamix that I absolutley LOVE. Vitamix has an amazing warantee. I have never had any issues with mine and it is such a quality product. I use it almost every day. You can find Certified-Refurbished Vitamixes here!

Paleo and Keto Mini Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecakes
(paleo, keto option, vegan)
Serves 12-16

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust Process:

1. Line a muffin tin (you may have enough to do more) with silicone or regular muffin liners. I use silicone. You can find the ones that I use here.
2. Stir the crust ingedients together into a large bowl until mixture forms a dough ball.
3. Press a small amount of crust into each mufifn liner. Refrigerate the muffin pan until your filling is done!

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours) and drained
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2/3 cup ChocZero vanilla syrup (you can order it here) Alternatively, you can use honey or pure maple syrup)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Filling Process:

1. In a Vitamix or Food Processor, blend all filling ingredients until smooth.
2. Carefully pour cheesecake filling into each muffin liner until they are 75-80% full.
3. Freeze cheesecakes for 30 minutes.
4. Before serving, remove cheesecakes from the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Add fresh blueberries or homemade blueberry syrup, some lemon zest to garnish, and enjoy!

Paleo and Keto Double Chocolate Donuts

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! To me, Valentine's Day isn't about flowers, candy, and presents, it's about donuts.. clearly. I think I have posted a donut recipe every Valentine's Day for a few years, and I am totally okay with that! 

I wanted to make a yummy treat for Ryan and the boys to eat this week. Of course it had to be grain-free and free of refined sugars, so I whipped these up.. and they are wonderful. The ganache is simple and delicious. You will likely be left with a bit of ganache left over, but if you have big eaters like I do, that should not be a problem. 

**You will need a Wilton Donut pan (or 2). You can order those here!**

You will see how to make these both Paleo and Keto in the recipe below. Be sure to have all requied ingredients ready to go! I suggest using Amazon Prime to order the Choc Zero Sweetener and the Sugar-Free Chocolate chips if you are doing these keto!

Enjoy, and as always, please let me know how these go for you. Can't wait to see your photos. Be sure to hashtag and tag @thewholesomefoodie on Instagram!

Paleo and Keto Chocolate Donuts

Grain-Free Double Chocolate Donuts 

(Paleo, Keto-Option)

Serves 8-10

**You will need a Wilton Donut pan (or 2). You can order those here!**

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted but cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (my secret ingredient)
• 1/4 cup choco-zero maple syrup (purchase here for keto) , maple syrup, or honey (for paleo)

Ganache:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk or full fat canned cococnut milk
• 4 ounces Lily's chocolate chips (for keto) or semi-sweet chocolate chips (for paleo)

Donut Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a Wilton Donut pan with coconut oil or spray.
2. In a large food processor, combine all ingredients and blend until batter is smooth.
3. Pour batter so it fills about 75% of each donut mold.
4. Jiggle pan around a bit to even off the batter and bake in oven for about 9-13 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 seconds. Quickly flip onto a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before frosting.

Ganache Process:

1. Pour chocolate chips in a medium-large heat proof bowl.
2. In a heavy bottom medium sauce pan, heat milk and butter until butter has melted.
3. Allow milk to barely simmer for 2-3 minutes. Do not allow the milk to boil or it will burn.
4. Pour milk over chocolate so chocolate is covered and let sit for 4-5 minutes.
5. After the time is up, stir chocolate and milk mixture until smooth.
6. Dip donuts in the ganache and enjoy!