I can assure you, this is not a Paleo cookie. It is not even a Primal cookie. It is a special occasion cookie --a wonderful treat to serve at a gluten free Super Bowl party. It also makes a great holiday cookie (think gluten free Valentine's Day dessert). Lately, everyone who has been over to our house --gluten free or not --has been gorging themselves on these Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Whatever your thoughts about the healthfulness (or lack thereof) of this treat, when you're going to have a big dessert such as this, it's great to slow down all of the sugar with some high protein almond flour, which this chocolate chip cookie contains.

All in all, these cookies are a super easy homemade treat that will wow your friends. And family. My husband liked 'em so much that he asked me to bake up a batch for a business associate of his. Now that's one mighty big metaphoric seal of approval.

If you are looking for healthy gluten free cookies, leave the white and milk chocolate chips out of this recipe. The result?  A double dark chocolate chip cookie, made from high protein almond flour and anti-oxidant rich dark chocolate. Or try my gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies if you're not in the mood to tinker with this recipe.

I made (and nibbled on) these cookies during the holidays last month on Colorado's "Everyday" Show (straying from my regular Paleo fare). This clip was broadcast on our local channel FOX 31 (KDVR) in Denver. You can watch the video below:

I think this may be the most decadent dessert that I make. What is your most indulgent treat?

I love making gluten free crusts with almond flour. This gluten free flour is super easy to use, high in heart healthy protein and fats, and of course delicious.

If you wish to experiment and try to make a gluten free pie crust out of this tart crust, feel free. Just be sure to stop back by and let us know how it works.

I am anticipating that I will receive a lot of questions about substituting the egg in this crust recipe; to this I answer: not sure. Again, if you find an adaptation or substitution that works in this gluten free pie crust recipe please let us know how it goes. As for me, I'm very happy with how this turned out as it is a wonderful Paleo tart crust, that will be front and center on my Paleo Thanksgiving menu.

The above is a brand new tart crust recipe. I experimented with it numerous times until I was entirely happy with the outcome. In my tests, I made it with a pecan pie filling. Here are some other filling recipes that you can experiment with:

Chocolate Cream Pie
Mousse Cloud Pie
Chocolate Peanut Tart

What will you fill your tart crust with?

Note: for those of you looking for pecan pie filling, please see the recipe in The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

My fellow gym rats were delighted when I brought these Paleo friendly, high protein, gluten free snacks to the gym last week. The consensus? These gluten free power bars hit the spot.

Made with healthy, high protein almond flour and nutritious goji berries, the gang wolfed these down, then asked for more. I promised them I would post this recipe for gluten free power bars and so here it is.

First though, a bit about goji berries. Goji berries (also known as wolfberries) are a superfood, slowly gaining attention and popularity in this country.

Research shows that berries are superfoods and that eating berries such as goji berries, blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries can be beneficial for your health.  Berries contain powerful antioxidants and other compounds that can boost the immune system and lower cholesterol; further, it is thought that the nutrient properties in berries can prevent cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.

Goji berries in particular have compounds rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene and B vitamins.  These compounds are thought to have anti-aging benefits and boost immune function. Incidentally, goji berries have been used for centuries in Traditonal Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Dried goji berries tend to be a bit...dry. So I like to plump mine up before I use them by placing them in a bowl and pouring a bit of boiling water over them. This brings out their juicy goodness, makes them easier to digest and simply prevents them from being too hard.

When you plump your gojis, let them sit in the hot water for 10-15 minutes until the water is mostly absorbed, then discard any remaining water (there won't be a lot).

Here are some more Paleo friendly bars that you may also like:
-Spicy Power Bars
-Cherry Vanilla Power Bars
-Apricot Power Bars

This dairy free peanut butter protein shake is a great way to start the day.  I like to drink it before I go to the gym --the protein (about 50 grams) gives me energy during my entire workout, and then some.

I've been on a major peanut butter kick lately, in fact, this is my third gluten free peanut butter recipe in the last week or so.  Earlier, I posted my Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, after that I posted my classic gluten free and vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, and now this here shake.  I'm in Texas, y'all, hence my new accent.

We're in Waco for my son's Little League baseball tournament.  The thermometer says it's 107°; in reality when we're driving around, it's closer to 112°.  The team could care less though.  They've been hoping to make it to regionals since they were 10 year olds (they're 12 now).

Our summer has been filled with baseball and not too much else --the team has practiced 2-4 hours every day.  We won the district tournament, then went on to capture the state tournament, so we are now the official Colorado State Champs.

This week we're here for the regional tournament.  If we win, we'll go to the Little League World Series (an international competition), though between you all and me, that's really a long shot!  We're just trying to make it through the heat at this point against all of the amazing teams from the South.  Here's a picture of our team.

Earlier this week I squeezed in a day at Jen Yu's amazing workshop Food and Light here in Boulder.  I learned so many incredible photography and food styling techniques from Jen, Matt Wright, Diane Cu and Todd Porter.  I also met many wonderful people and spent time chatting with Averie from Loves Veggies and Yoga and Manisha from Indian Food Rocks.

It's been busy, busy as you can gather from the above, so I've been relying on quick and easy gluten free breakfasts such as my:

• Protein Powder Pina Colada
• Gluten Free Granola
• Gluten Free Porridge

Enjoy the shake!

I was working my way through the Cook's Illustrated website the other night and came across an amazing recipe for Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies.  As soon as I laid eyes on that recipe I knew I had to create a high protein, gluten free version.  While my husband enjoys all of my gluten free chocolate recipes, this is his fave.  He even left a special love note on the fridge for me late last night after sampling them.

Of course this is also a dairy free recipe for those of you who are learning how to cook without dairy; and has no agave in it for those avoiding agave.  If you wish to try out other permutations to accommodate your individual needs, feel free to do so; just be sure to leave a comment and let us know if your substitutions worked!

The winner of last weeks giveaway for a copy of the book Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming is Holly!

Here are some more gluten free brownie recipes from other food bloggers:
-Hazelnut Brownies from Lexie of Lexie's Kitchen
-Gluten-Free Coffee Cranberry Pistachio Brownies from Melissa of Gluten Free For Good
-Rockbrook Espresso Brownies from Lori of Gluten Free Best Friends Forever!

These high protein Sesame Salmon Burgers pair nicely with Garlic Ginger Bok Choy (pictured in background of photo above; stay tuned for recipe next week).

I really like making these quick and easy gluten free burgers because they not only consist of highly nutritious wild salmon (obviously), they're also packed with superfoods such as garlic, ginger and sesame seeds.  Sometimes I like to prepare the salmon mixture ahead of time (think the night before, so that the flavors can meld into the salmon and intensify) and then cook the patties in a skillet the following day for dinner.

If you're looking for other quick and easy gluten free burgers check out my Green Chili Turkey Burgers and Shrimp Burgers.

Thanks to everyone who participated in last weeks Dagoba giveaway, and to all of you who joined me on Facebook and Twitter. The winners of the four 8oz bags of Dagoba Chocodrops and four 8oz canisters of Dagoba cacao powder are Brittany and Melissa! Congratulations y'all and enjoy!

Here are more gluten free burger recipes you may enjoy:
-Turducken Burger Recipe from Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
-Sweet Potato Black Bean Vegetarian Burger Recipe from Seamaiden of Book of Yum
-Quinoa-Salmon Burgers (Gluten-Free + Egg-free) from Ali of Nourishing Meals

I met Silvana last year at Blogher Food and felt an instant connection with her.  She is magnetic in a smart, sophisticated, New York kinda way, and I was more than happy to spend a full day at the conference sitting with her for every session and sharing breaks together chatting.

During the day, our stories unfolded, and we learned that in terms of our children, we have much in common.  Silvana, the former editor-in-chief at Rachael Ray Everyday, began cooking gluten free after her son, Isiah, now 13 and big-time into basketball, was diagnosed as gluten intolerant.  I too began my adventures into gluten free cooking when my son Jacob (now 12 ½, and into baseball big-time) was diagnosed with celiac disease.

The day I spent with Silvana was memorable and we have stayed in touch ever since.  Needless to say, I have been meaning to cook something for you all from her gorgeous book, Cooking for Isaiah for some time now and this Chocolate Mousse Cloud Pie recipe a la Silvana is long overdue!

Of course, this is not the exact recipe from her book, for that you will need to go to Amazon.com and purchase this lovely tome of recipes with everything from Italian classics like Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Crumbs to fun fresh innovative dishes such as Tomato Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream, to all sorts of amazing desserts like Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Doughnuts and Raspberry-Lemon Meringue Layer Cake.

I have to say, Silvana's recipes are fun, fresh and easy and every time I open her book, I discover a new favorite.  Thanks Silvana, for sharing all of your cooking and baking wisdom with us in your gorgeous book!  For more recipes from Silvana, check out her blog, Silvana's Kitchen.

I'm kinda obsessed with these deviled eggs, and given that Easter is near, what could be more appropriate? They're easy to make, full of protein and naturally gluten free to boot. My boys love to chow down on them after school and I like to snack on them all day long. Deviled Eggs are perfectly simple and elegant for a party, and make a great casual everyday type gluten free snack as well.

When I make these, I like to double the recipe below, boiling 10 eggs at night, and then make them the next morning.

Just a quick note, your Deviled Eggs will not look exactly like the ones in the photo above. I shot those when I thought I was done with working on this recipe; however, I kept tweaking it. Basically, if you follow the recipe above, your Deviled eggs will be a lighter yellow and more creamy looking. Hope you enjoy these Deviled Eggs --they're one of my all time favorite snacks!

More gluten free deviled egg recipes from other food bloggers:
-Mom's Deviled Eggs from Shirley of Gluten Free Easily
-Mayo-less Deviled Eggs with Capers from Angie of Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free
-Deviled Eggs from Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom

I have been a huge fan of Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio for quite some time.  His work really came to life for me when I saw him speak at Blogher Food last year.  He conveys his love of good food in a passionate manner, which I find compelling.

So, when my friend Silvana invited me to participate in this month's Ratio Rally, I said yes, even though I have not really baked using ratios and scales.  I am definitely a numbers person though, so the concept is not a daunting one.  If you don't like numbers and scales, do not read any further.  This post is not for you!  If you're into making recipe templates that can serve as the basis for numerous other recipes, then proceed.  And get out that scale!

According to Ruhlman, "a quick bread is composed of cake batter ingredients that are stirred together."  He goes on to say that "muffins are quick breads baked into cups."  Hence, my decision to make muffins. Ruhlman's ratio for making a quick bread using wheat flour is 2 parts flour: 2 parts liquid: 1 part egg: 1 part fat.

The ratio I came up with for muffins uses almond flour, and is 4 parts flour: 4 parts egg: 1 part sweetener.  After much experimentation, I can say that  I doubt these proportions will work with other flours as almond flour is a very unique ingredient.

So why create this recipe at all?  Well, it is still versatile in two ways.  First, it is a wonderful template for a muffin recipe.  You can experiment by adding different flavor combinations including: date walnut, lemon poppyseed, dried cranberries with white chocolate chips, cinnamon raisin, and orange dark chocolate chip.  Second, you can scale up the recipe and make as many muffins as you like.  Double it for 8 muffins.  Cut it in half for 2.  It's that flexible.

The ratio for making a basic, lightly sweetened almond flour muffin is (4:4:1), and here is the complete recipe:

To make a loaf of quick bread, simply double the above batter and bake it for 35-40 minutes on the lower rack of your oven in an 6-½ x 4-inch baby loaf pan (Luminarc).

My findings? Because almond flour is more wet than wheat flour, I ended up eliminating the 2 parts of liquid that Ruhlman used in his ratios.  And because almond flour is more fatty than wheat flour I have eliminated the fat that was part of his formula.  Finally, I used equal parts almond flour and egg in my recipe because almond flour is heavy and requires extra leavening, and eggs are a wonderfully simple form of leavening that is high in protein.

I did not have a hypothesis when I began this experiment.  I based my ratio on Ruhlman's and started out with liquids, fat and all sorts of unnecessary other ingredients (that I found are not relevant when baking with almond flour).  In order to come up with the recipe above, I baked the muffins 4 times before the result was remotely edible, and 5 more times to perfect them.  As you can see, when it comes to baking, hands on is the only way to go; guessing does not work.

The winner of last weeks giveaway for a brand new 12-Cup Food Processor from the Cuisinart Elite Collection™ is M. Sieu! I want to thank everyone for participating and sharing your favorite food processor recipes.

This recipe is based on one by Ellyn Goodrich at epicurious.com, called "Alaskan Halibut and Salmon Gefilte Fish Terrine."  While Goodrich's recipe makes a gefilte fish "loaf," mine is for traditional (yet gluten free) gefilte fish balls (like my Bubby made) only with more vegetables, so that they are a bit lighter and healthier than the standard gefilte-fare.

What are gefilte fish?  Here is Wikipedia's definition:

"Yiddish Gefüllte Fisch (Gefilte fish;from German gefüllte "stuffed" fish) (Yiddish: געפֿילטע פֿיש, Hebrew: דגים ממולאים‎ dagim memula'im, literally "filled fish") is a poached fish mince stuffed into the fish skin. More common since the Second World War are the Polish patties similar to quenelles or fish balls made from a mixture of ground deboned fish, mostly carp or pike. They are popular in the Ashkenazi Jewish community and are typically eaten on Shabbat and Holidays."

In my house, we eat gefilte fish once a year. They're not easy to make, so we prepare them at Passover, as my Bubby did and serve them with homemade maror (ground horseradish).

Did you know that Passover starts one month from today? If you're planning a gluten free Passover, you might want to check out my Gluten Free Passover Menu which is full of yummy things like gluten free Matzo Ball Soup and Charoset.

Even though it's a month away, I'm ready for Passover, as for me, it is the holiday which ushers in spring!