Chocolate Chewies

Have had these at bakeries and bought them at Whole Foods, but never tried to make them until now. They were surprisingly easy and very good!

Ingredients
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup chocolate chips (minis would work well for these)

1. Preheat oven to 350, whisk egg whites in mixer on medium until white and foamy (but not peaked). Fold in vanilla extract.

2. Stir in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt until just combined. Use spatula to stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

3. Use small scoop to drop onto lined baking sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes. Cool for about 3-5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Grilled Asparagus with Tomato and Feta

We can't get enough of the new grill! Tonight I made a side of chopped asparagus and tomatoes with feta, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, and pepper. It cooked about 15 minutes and I plan on taking the rest tomorrow for lunch (on top of some quinoa). It's starting to feel like summer is truly on the way!

Cookie S'mores

Okay, this is a total hack because there is no cooking involved. Tate's gluten free chocolate chip cookies + one square of super dark chocolate + one marshmallow = microwave for 10 seconds, top with second cookie and prepare for ooey gooey deliciousness. Tate's are perfect because they are crisp and hold up in the microwave plus they have a great taste for GF.

Get Your Grill On

We got a new grill! And it's finally getting warm enough to use it regularly. We test drove it with some delicious fish, veggies, and steak for the husband. I also love these little foil trays that hold a perfect meal or side with no mess. My fish sat on some chopped asparagus, red pepper, shallot, garlic, salt, and olive oil. The fish was topped with a pat of butter, some Mrs. Dash, and everything got a nice squeeze of lemon. The broccoli was just tossed in olive oil, sea salt, and lemon juice. So simple and so delicious! Looking forward to throwing our CSA veggies on here soon.

Blue Cheese Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet potatoes + shallot + garlic + olive oil + salt = tossed and baked at 425 for about 25 minutes. Top with balsamic vinegar and crumbled blue cheese, bake about 2 more minutes. Serve warm.

Okonomiyaki

Cabbage pancakes are my hands down favorite at Xiao Bao Biscuit. They are made with flour so I thought I'd try to recreate them at home with GF flour. They were AMAZING! And messy, but not all that difficult. I pulled from several different recipes and the only things I might do differently next time are maybe adding some shredded kale or spinach. Finely chopped broccoli would be good too.

It's nearly two packages of pre-shredded cabbage with four eggs, a chopped bunch of scallions, a few tablespoons of GF soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, a cup of defrosted peas and carrots, salt, pepper, garlic paste, a large handful of shredded basil, and about 1/3 cup of GF flour. Coconut oil is really good for frying because of the high smoke point. You just fry 'em up and then top with a little sauce (mayo + soy sauce + Sriracha). Also added a big side of stir fried veggies in soy sauce and butter (mmmm).

U.S. National Whitewater Center

After venturing up to Charlotte for my husband's Spartan Race, we spent the evening wandering around and getting hibachi, discounted books, and ice cream. The next morning was dedicated to scoping out the U.S. Whitewater Center, where we had a blast zip lining and jumping off 50 ft. platforms. Wheeeeeeee!