THE BEST (really) Grain Free Gluten Free Brownies

(video at the bottom)
I've always liked brownies but never liked the fact that sugar was the main ingredient. I've tried many 'healthier' brownie recipes over the years, tweaked them a little, and still have not come up with anything close to the 'real deal' ... until now. In fact, I like these brownies BETTER than the 'real deal' and they are much better for you.

With almond butter or some other kind of nut or seed butter as the base and honey to sweeten, these brownies can be enjoyed instead of feared.

Grain Free Brownies
FIRST (optional but really good!)
Soak about 10 prunes for a few hours, a day or over night. Blend the prunes and 1 1/2t instant coffee granules (optional) WITH the soaking water until smooth. Add only as much water as needed to help it blend (you may need to add more water).

Preheat over to 325* and grease a bar pan (15" x 10 1/2")

Place 2 cups (512g) of nut or seed butter in a mixer bowl.
Add the prune/coffee puree and 3 eggs.
Mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides at least once.

Add 1T vanilla and sweetener. If your nut/seed butter is sweet already, only use 1/2c to 3/4c sweetener. If it is not sweet, add 1c sweetener. I prefer honey.
Mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides at least once.

In a separate bowl combine 1/2c dark cocoa/cacao powder, 1t baking soda and 1/2t salt. If you did not use the prunes, now is the time to add the 1 1/2t instant coffee granules (optional).
Stir to mix well.

Spoon the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while blending. Mix well. Scrape at least once.
Optional: Stir in 1/2c to 3/4c dark chocolate chips (I do this for any nut or seed butter except the chocolate hazelnut butter). You may melt this if you'd like to.

Pour onto the greased bar pan, spread out evenly and bake at 325* for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center is done.

Cool on a wire rack. Cut. Store in an airtight container ... on the counter for short term or in the fridge for about a week.
Enjoy!

Savory Muffins (Gluten Free, Dairy Free) Freezer Meal

Tasty Tuesday!

I developed this recipe last week and it turned out GREAT! I made mine gluten free, however you can use whole wheat, kamut, unbleached, or any other combination of gluten-containing grains in place of the gluten-free flour mix. I use a whole grain gluten-free mix in place of the norm which is full of refined starches. I assume this is a healthier choice!

Dry Ingredients:
2c gluten free flour mix (I like Sun Flour Mills all purpose flour mix*)
1 1/2t xanthan gum (omit if you are using gluten-containing flour(s))
1T baking powder
1t salt
1/2t garlic powder (or 1 large clove with the wet ingredients)
1t dry basil
1t dry oregano

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs or equivalent egg substitute (I like Ener-G Egg Replacer*)
1T honey
1 1/2c pureed tomatoes (blend canned or fresh tomatoes till no longer chunky)
1/4c extra virgin olive oil
1c small pieces of cooked meat (I used ground beef)
1 1/2c minced vegetables (I used a mixture of approx 1/4c onions, 1/4c black olives, 1/2c red bell peppers and 1/2c zucchini)

Optional: 1/2-1c shredded cheese substitute (I do not like substitutes and I cannot have the real deal, so I just leave this out. However please feel free to add it in if you prefer!)

Topping:
2T melted dairy free margarine or real butter (obviously if you want this to remain dairy-free you will have to use a dairy free margarine! I like Earth Balance*)
1/2t garlic granules 
1/2t salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If not already done, cook the meat. Saute the vegetables (ok, some of them are technically fruits but we'll just call them vegetables!) until tender. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then combine along with the optional cheese. Grease or line your muffin cups and fill them 2/3 with the batter. Bake till golden brown and done, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the muffin pan and cool on wire racks. Combine the topping ingredients and brush the tops of each muffin till the topping is all used up.

Cool completely and freeze for future easy meals or snacks (YAY!) or serve with dipping sauce. I like homemade pizza sauce for these, however you may use spaghetti or marinara sauce ... any tomato-based sauce would be yummy. These are great for on-the-go activities.

Enjoy!

*I purchase these products from Azure Standard, however that may not be an option in your area. Some may be found on Amazon.com, VitaCost.com or other such websites. You might even find them at your local stores, however the price will more than likely be higher.