These Brownies are BOMB!! Think Paleo, flourless, chocolatey, bacony (?) goodness!!

For anybody who hasn't purchased Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo, (whether you're paleo or not) you need to check this book out! I have tried several recipes (and I'm not usually the type to abide by recipes, might I add), and her's are simply amazing! Everything comes out wonderfully (with my minor tweaks of course)! You see, I have a theory. Different cooks have different styles; some cooks share similar styles. Every once in a while, a great cookbook will come along with my style written all over it. I am talking about the kind of cookbook that makes you say, "MAN! This recipe ROCKS! I can feel the chef power flowing through this recipe! If I wrote a cook book, I would want there to be a recipe like this!" Diane Sanfilippo shares my style.

So here it is folks, the brownie recipe you have all been waiting for. Now, I know you've scoured the internet for a good one, a gluten and dairy free one that still crackles on the surface but is moist and dense and holds together and is so rich it makes you forget the fact that there is no flour or butter what so ever. Brilliant, brilliant Diane Sanfilippo, thank you for this recipe. Please, do not be offended by minor tweaks. Instead of dark chocolate, I used completely unsweetened chocolate (sidebar: is anybody else perturbed by the disappearance of completely sugar and sweetener free chocolate in baking these days? Honestly, I sent my husband to Whole Foods the other day to pick some up, and he came back empty handed; apparently 100% dark chocolate is an anomaly these days. Beware the sugar invasion!) I also decreased the amount of maple syrup and upped the amount of chocolate to keep the moisture and intensity consistent (again keep the sugars low, and let the chocolate flavor flow). I did top with bacon (DIVINE) but next time around, I think i'll try some walnuts or maybe even maple-glazed bacon! Stay tuned for more on this!

In the meantime....

Flourless Bacon Brownie Goodness: Makes 16 Brownies

-6 oz unsweetened dark chocolate
-1/2 C coconut oil
-3 extra large eggs
-1/3-1/2 C (depending on your sweet tooth) maple syrup
-Pinch of Salt
-1/2 C + 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
-2 Tbsp strong coffee
-2 Tbsp coffee grounds
-2-3 strips of cooked bacon, chopped up

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a 9 in square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a double boiler, melt oil and chocolate together. Careful not to burn it!
3. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, salt, and maple syrup until well combined.
4. Slowly whisk in melted chocolate a bit at a time (whisk continuously to avoid curdling the eggs- these are not scrambled egg brownies!)
5. Sift cocoa powder over the eggs, whisking all the while until thoroughly combined.
6. Whisk in the coffee and coffee grounds, again until thoroughly combined.
7. Pour into the prepared pan, top with bacon, and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. (By the way, this is the perfect thing to bake right before visitors/dates come over; the aroma will win over any heart!) ENJOY!

Fennel & Apple Chicken Salad Salad - yum-o!!!!

Fall brings a slew of produce thatt just drive me wild. I'm talking sweet potatoes and pumpkins, butternut squash and grapes! But the thing I absolutely love most about fall is APPLES!  I adore apples sliced, baked, sauced, and cidered! Of all of God's lovely fruits, apples are truly the most versatile and, you have to admit, the most delicious. What other fruit offers so many varieties (from crisp to sweet to tart to sour to delicate)? What other fruit pairs so well with pork, poultry, dessert, vegetables, and other fruits? What other fruit is so fundamentally American?! The answer is, simply, none; there is nothing better than an apple!

However, one cannot live on apples alone. And mayonnaise, chicken, fennel, lettuce, and olive oil can transform a humble (although divine) honey crisp from ordinary to extraordinary in a matter of minutes. You'll love this salad! Especially if you've purchased a CSA and you're wondering what to do with that furry bulb of fennel you've been receiving all September. Pair it with a hard cider (or two) or, my favorite, a margarita, and you've got a divine dinner in ten minutes. Voila!

Fennel-Apple Chicken Salad Salad
-1 head romaine lettuce washed and chopped
-1 1/2 Tbs mayonnaise (I use cage free egg based lemonaise)
-1 large cooked chicken breast slivered and diced
-1/2 small yellow onion, diced
-2 tsp Dijon mustard
-1/2 tsp hot sauce
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-1/2 fennel bulb diced
-1 large honey crisp apple chopped
-high quality olive oil

1. Combine chicken, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, hot sauce, onion, and fennel in a mixing bowl.
2. Top lettuce with two scoops of Chicken salad, chopped apples, and season with extra salt and
pepper as needed. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. Yummy!

Chai Time (Kenyan Style)

I believe most people who "go Paleo" would agree that it's more of a life style choice than a "diet." Yeah. OK. What does that even mean? Well, to me, it means that you don't avoid dairy, beans, sugars, and grains because you don't like how they taste, or because you don't want to get fat, or even because somebody told you it's the best way to eat. Instead, you eat this way because it's what physically feels best to you.

For years, I worked hard to feel good. I read every book I could get my hands on and tried every "diet" I learned about in order to make myself "healthy." But despite my best attempts, I still remained underweight and terribly sick. Until I tried Paleo.

OK, to avoid sounding like an informercial and losing all of you, I will get to the point. Over our margaritas last night, a friend asked why I decided to "go pale" when the cultural loss was so great. He wanted to know what in the world could be worth sacrificing, not just food, but the communal bond that occurs between people as they, literally, break bread together.

And he is right; there really is no sensation like sitting down with a buddy and chomping on some delicious, grain-filled bread, fresh-baked and still warm out of the oven, smothered in creamy, yellow butter. BUT, and it's a big but, I've learned throughout my years of experimentation, that the miraculous communal bond happens magically over roasted okra and steak just as well as it does over rice and beans. We come together and unite in our mutual need for sustenance and satisfaction, not in a mutual need for cupcakes. After all, there is meaning to the saying "one cannot live by bread alone..."

At the same time, when you "go paleo," you necessarily eliminate the completely indulgent aspect of things like cookies and milk, french fries, and pasta smothered in parmesan. And that really brings me to my point: thank goodness for coconut milk, honey, sweet potatoes, and spaghetti squash because without them, I don't think us pale folk could quite get along. After all, what is life without milk and cookies, even if you have to throw the sugar and the cow out the window?

So, this brings me to my next recipe, and, not to disappoint you, it's not for milk and cookies (more on this later). Instead, it's for chai tea. When I was working in Kenya, like all people there, I became addicted to chai. Whole milk steeped in locally grown black tea with a touch of cloves and a whole heap of sugar, I swear Kenya as a country would cease to function without chai. Ladies gossip over it, politicians conspire over it, and even school children partake in it; chai is a completely cultural indulgence, and I miss it dreadfully. To ease the ache, I've invented a paleolithic chai tea for the stormy nights, and the soar throats, and the afternoon hours when I just need a break.

Chai (Kenyan Style): Serves 1
-1 bag chai tea (I like Numi Decafinated Rooibos Chai)
-1/4 cup coconut milk
-1 tsp honey

1. Combine honey, coconut milk, and tea bag in a cup.
2. Top with boiling water, steep for 2 minutes, stir, and enjoy!