Grain-free Peanut or Almond Butter Balls

Peanut butter balls are a pretty popular American snack. There are two main kinds: the kind that are more dessert-y and often coated in chocolate (often known as Buckeyes), and the kind that is more snack-y with a saltier flavor. My version here is a healthy remake of the snack type of peanut butter balls. 

The thing about peanut butter balls is that they pretend to be healthy, but are loaded with powdered sugar in most recipes. The snack kinds often have so much honey added they are still sickeningly sweet to me. Now, I do admit to being sensitive to super sweet stuff. But still, do all our snacks in this country have to be loaded with sweetener, even healthy ones??? Mini rant over :-).

These peanut butter balls have proven to be a great snack for me for when I am getting a little hungry in between meals. I am constantly on the go with my little one year old and sometimes haven't planned real well for a quick snack for either of us.

The coconut flour makes them more easy to digest than those with grain-based filler, I don't always do well with grains and would prefer my little boy not have too many either. Thus they are suitable for gluten-free and grain-free diets. With the choice of almond butter they are also suitable for paleo and primal diets.

Grain-free Peanut or Almond Butter Balls

2 Tablespoons coconut oil, softened or melted
1/2 cup creamy, natural peanut or almond butter
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons honey
 6 Tablespoons coconut flour

About 1/3 cup finely shredded coconut, or finely chopped nuts for rolling, optional

In a small bowl mash together the first five ingredients. Stir in coconut flour until thoroughly combined. Shape into about 16-18 one-inch balls and roll in coconut or nuts, if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 16-18 balls, with about 3 per serving.

{This recipe is linked up at Whole Foods Wednesday, Tasty Traditions, and Gluten-free Fridays.} 

Sweet Onion Salsa

My first encounter with Carolina sweet onions was when I received my very first farm box. There were three ginormous onions in my half bushel box of local farm goodies, and I couldn't wait to try them out!

Carolina sweet onions look like giant green onions or leeks, only they have a much more mild taste than any onion I've tasted.

The first two I sliced thinly and caramelized with butter and served over mashed potatoes. Mmmmm...... Delicious! They sure live up to their name and the caramelization heightened the sweetness even more!

With the last precious sweet onion I decided to try out my classic salsa recipe (which I posted here in one of my very first posts, on taco salad). Only I subbed out the regular onion for sweet onion and used grape tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes. 

Wow.

Another winning experiment! And I can assure you, all my culinary adventures don't end as well! With the sweet onions and the grape tomatoes this salsa really takes on a delectable sweetness not typical to salsa. 

I also experimented with lacto-frementing this recipe and it turned out great! So this is my first fermented veggie recipe to make it to the blog. 

Lacto-fermentation is an ancient method of food preservation. In the past pickles and olives were preserved with a salt brine, and chutneys and such with a little whey mixed in.  Today with canning and lots of artificial preservatives these methods have virtually been forgotten. But it turns out lacto-frementation increases the nutrient content of the foods because the beneficial bacteria actually multiply the nutrients! How cool is that?! Once again I find that the old fashioned way is the healthier way. The instructions for this variation are below the recipe.

Sweet Onion Salsa

1 pint grape tomatoes, finely chopped (I used my handy-dandy manuel food processor from Pampered Chef)
1 large Carolina sweet onion with green tops (leave out any toughened or browning sections), finely chopped, about 2/3 cup. I used my food processor.
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, long stems removed, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, or 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika if you don't like heat.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lime or lemon

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for about an hour (if possible) until serving, to blend the flavors.  Serve with chips, as a topping for Mexican-American food, or with grilled fish fillets.

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Servings: about 6.

Lacto-fermentation option:

To the above recipe, add an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup whey (drained from plain yogurt, not powdered whey protein).

Stir to combine and place in a mason jar. Press the veggies down a bit so the liquid rises to the top. Seal tightly with an air-lock lid (I recommend Cooking God's Way's airlock system), or loosely with a mason jar lid, to allow the gases to escape (the plastic "freezer lids" are preferred). Set on the counter in a cool place for about two days, or up to three days if you have an air-lock system.

When I did this the end result tasted identical to the salsa before I fermented it, with no bad taste at all! The lacto-fermented recipe will last a little longer in the fridge than the standard recipe, but I bet there won't be any left over!

{This recipe is linked up at Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays,  Whole Foods Wednesday and Tasty Traditions.}

What's your favorite way to use sweet onions?

Velveeta-Free Rotel Cheese Dip

Snack foods for parties and potlucks often end up being sweet treats with no nutritional value. So whenever there is an opportunity to bring snacks to an event, I like to choose something savory. I always want to make healthy recipes taste good, so I was pleased when this new recipe I developed was a big hit at several recent get-together. Processed cheese like Velveeta is so unhealthy, being made with hydrogenated (trans) fat and lots of preservatives and artificial ingredients.  (In my post on dairy I talk more about why hydrogenated fat is so bad for you). So I wanted to make a version of this popular dip that contained only healthy ingredients. My Velveeta-Free Rotel Cheese Dip is rich in protein and calcium, and can be a guilt-free high protein/low carb snack if served with fresh veggie dippers. If served with vegetables this dip is also Nourishing Traditions approved.

Velveeta-Free Rotel Cheese Dip

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef or turkey*
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic salt, divided, plus additional to taste, or 4 cloves minced fresh garlic plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt**
2 teaspoons cumin
1 large or 2 small fresh banana peppers, diced, or one 8 oz. can green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, regular or mild according to preference
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, or mexican blend

Tortilla chips or assorted vegetables for serving (baby carrots, celery sticks, green pepper strips, etc.)

*If using turkey use fresh as versus frozen meat for the best texture and flavor. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet if using turkey.

**If using only half a pound of ground meat, cut the salt in half.

Place meat in a 4 quart pot. Turn the heat to medium. Break up the ground meat with a spoon or stiff spatula. Add the onions. Sprinkle the garlic salt over the meat, or stir in the salt and minced garlic if using. Add the banana pepper, if using. Cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat, if necessary. Stir in green chilies, if using, diced tomatoes and green chilies, and cumin. Bring to a boil then add the cream cheese, breaking up a bit with a spoon. Reduce heat to low. Heat, stirring occasionally until cream cheese is melted, about 7 minutes. Stir in the cheddar cheese. Serve hot. 

This dip is also great served in a small crock pot set on warm.

Serve with chips or veggies.

Preparation time: 5  minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Servings: 10-15. 

Search terms:

Healthy rotel cheese dip

Mexican cheese dip with cream cheese

Healthy nacho dip with ground beef / turkey / hamburger