Local Foods Archives | Page 8 of 16

Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

March 2, 2012

I’m working on my added-sugar dependency. I don’t think I eat an exceptional amount, but when you consider that just about everything we eat has sugar in it, in one form or another – yeah, maybe I eat too much.

I cut sugar out of my coffee a couple years ago, and fortunately I haven’t gone back. My oatmeal, however, is a different story. I like honey and maple syrup. Not bad at all in my opinion, but worth reducing.

My main goal is to stop turning to sugar out of habit. This doesn’t mean that I don’t want something sweet. I also happen to disagree that cravings completely go away. Lessen yes, but go away, no; at least not for me, based on several experiments.

So added sugars are out, but fruit is still in.

I solved the problem with my oatmeal. I find a half smashed banana and blueberries or strawberries stirred in to be the sweet enough for me to enjoy. And by enjoy I mean I’ve had it every morning this week for breakfast.

With a big container of plain Greek yogurt in the fridge, I decided to try a no-sugar-added snack. I love the original or tart flavor at yogurt shops. Sadly, almost all the stores in central Kentucky have removed it because it isn’t popular. That leaves me to make it myself.

I still have blackberries in the freezer, and decided to sweeten the yogurt with banana once again. The blackberries I use can be tart, very similar to yogurt, so if you want to go a little sweeter I’d suggest something like blueberries and maybe another half of banana, but for me, this was the perfect treat.

Homemade Blackberry Frozen Yogurt Recipe with no added sugar | Fake Food Free

Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed (with liquid)
1 1/4 cup whole or 2% plain Greek yogurt
1 banana

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. It essentially becomes a smoothie. Turn on your counter top ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl. Run until the yogurt is frozen, about 20 minutes.

Getting the right texture is tricky. I put it in the freezer to set up a little more and after an hour, it had gone way too far. I would suggestion eating it straight out of the ice cream maker, or allow it to set up for about 30 minutes, watching it closely.

Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt with No Added Sugar | Fake Food Free

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free and Lori Rice unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Beef Tenderloin Tips and Purple Potatoes

February 20, 2012

We’ve had about two pounds of beef tenderloin tips in the freezer for a few months now so we decided to serve them up last week for a very low-key Valentine’s Day dinner. If you are unfamiliar with the cut, it is a great option for getting a tender piece of high quality beef for a reasonable price. It is basically the tips from a larger piece of meat that turns into the very popular filet mignon.

I think this is one reason it took me so long to use it. I’m not exactly an excellent beef cook, unless a slow cooker decides to show up, and I didn’t want to ruin it.

To ensure success, I used a recipe as opposed to creating one myself. And by I, I mean my husband. After dinner I told him his cooking with me was like the boy in the Google video on Valentine’s Day. He jumped rope with me, and that’s all I really wanted for the occasion.

We used a recipe for Tenderloin Tips with Mushrooms and Herbs from the Food & Wine section of the Seattle Times posted last year. We doubled the recipe due to the amount of meat, and we also doubled everything else except for the mustard and rum. We used rum instead of brandy.

Tenderloin Tips with Mushrooms and Herbs

The final result was tender pieces of meat in an amazing sauce with the sweetness of red wine, but the bite of dijon mustard. I rarely like a stew-type beef, but this one far exceeded my expectations.

The rest of the meal was plain and simple, but with a colorful twist. I found purple potatoes in Cincinnati last weekend! I’ve read a lot about their production and health benefit, and about the research being used in the evaluation of the crop so I was interested in trying them. They’re still rare in this area.

The color can’t help but make you happy in the kitchen. It is so deep and rich, and only intensifies when roasted. I chopped them up with some Fingerling potatoes, coated them in olive oil, sprinkled on some sea salt and dried rosemary from last summer’s herb garden. They were ready to go after roasting about 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.

I wouldn’t call myself a meat and potatoes person, but every now and then I can see why people love them so much.

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Bloggers Get Together – 5B: Believers in Better Beer, Bites and Blogging

February 17, 2012

There are few things I find more professionally and socially rewarding than food blogging. If I ever tire of cooking, food photography, or food culture, I will still post just to afford myself the opportunity to attend blogger conferences.

I have met people from around the world that I would never have encountered otherwise. These people are creative, smart, and inspiring. We are also one positive group of folks! But what can you expect from food. Good, quality food has a way of lifting one’s spirits.

Hoperatives, a Cincinnati beer blogging group, took a chance on an opportunity to bring a few of us happy bloggers together for the 5B: Believers in Better Beer, Bites and Blogging Conference.And if there is anything happier than food bloggers, well, it’s likely beer bloggers.

Last Saturday about 40 of us spent the day learning, engaging and sharing. Mindy, Jonathan and I each traveled up on our own schedules from the Bluegrass, and we were outsiders to this group. As a result, I learned a significant amount about the Cincinnati brewery scene, along with some tips in social media and blog design that I can apply to my own work.

I might also mention that when you are obtaining such good information, it doesn’t hurt to sit down and pop open a Schlafly beer at 10:30 am. Beer blogging conferences just might be a little better than food blogging conferences.

I’ll admit that I may have been as excited about lunch as the conference itself. Our coordinators arranged for Cafe de Wheels to park outside the convention center for us. I currently live in a food truck desert, so I couldn’t stop thinking about this all day. I even braved the cold temperatures to place and pick up my order which turned out to be one of the best burgers I have had in a long time. Food trucks have sit-down restaurant burgers beat every time.

This conference provided plenty of perks including admission to the Cincy Winter Beerfest on Friday and Saturday with a connoisseur ticket on Saturday. In this case connoisseur means delicious appetizers paired with craft beers.

Here are a few of my favorites. You’ll have to forgive my failure to state the direct source for some of the foods. I was banking on finding some sort of list of food vendors online and haven’t been able to do so. I took only limited notes at the event so if you were there, please feel free to fill me in!

My favorite savory food were these tasty Slow Sliders – a combination of all things local. Not only that, but you could tell how fresh the ingredients were with each bit – a really outstanding sandwich if you like bratwurst, and I do.

Next was the house-made braunschweiger (a liverwurst) from Virgil’s Café paired with Crispin Maple flavored cider. I got the impression that few people were willing to try this. They were missing out! While I can’t eat a ton of braunschweiger, I grew up with it and thoroughly enjoy it on occasion. And that cider? The maple really cut that standard cider flavor making this one even better than others I’ve tasted.

I promise every beer I drank was not of the fruity variety, but this Framboesa (raspberry) was one of my favorites. I like it when my fruity beers really do taste like the fruit they are named for, and this one did without a doubt.

And then came the grand finale. Actually, for me it was the appetizer because to ensure I got one, I went there first. Bacon S’mores! Homemade marshmallows studded with pieces of bacon, torched to perfection, sandwiched between two Snickerdoodles with chocolate. I decided to only eat one cookie to pace myself, but whoa – they were as amazing as they sound.

Next some of us headed down to the actual beerfest. Over 300 craft beers were available. Absolutely impressive, but I have to admit, I’m not sure how gung-ho I would be to drive up and attend the beerfest itself. I was in good company so I had a great time, but it was absolutely packed. Your ticket provided a tasting glass and 25 tasting tickets which is A LOT of beer.

The lines for the well known breweries, Rogue, Bell’s, and Blue Moon along with the well known local breweries such as Kentucky Ale, wrapped all the way around the building. It would have been at least a 30-45 minute wait for a 5-8oz beer. We started finding the smaller breweries with shorter lines to try out so we’d actually get a drink. This turned out to be a better plan for trying something new anyway.

Let me try to prove my point regarding how packed it was. When have you ever seen a Men’s bathroom line this long?!

The one beer I set out to try was Kentucky Ale’s Kentucky Coffee Stout made with Alltech’s Café Citadelle from the Sustainable Haitiproject, and I succeeded. I like coffee. I like beer. It only gets better when you put them together. I especially liked how smooth this one was and the coffee flavor was strong which equals good in my book.

It was great to see all the craft beers, but lines wear me out. As a perk for attending the conference, though, it was well worth it and a nice finish to a fun day.

Barbecue Kale and Onion Pizza

January 31, 2012

I remain a kale fan even a few years after writing this post. The leafy green does beg for creativity and this barbecue kale and onion pizza is the perfect solution. The kale is braised in beer before being baked over a whole wheat cornmeal crust with barbecue sauce and two kinds of cheese.

Barbecue Kale and Onion Pizza | Fake Food Free

We eat so much kale that using the green in creative ways has become the ultimate challenge for me. I buy loads of it and then think – hmmm, what can I put kale in today. Soups, salads, smoothies, omelets? I haven’t taken on dessert yet, but it could be coming. One cannot underestimate kale’s versatility.

The super bowl won’t be a big deal for us this year. Well, except for the food. I’ll sit down and watch the game (or just the commercials), if it means I get to make game food. So my latest challenge was to get kale on the super bowl snack table.

I think I may have succeeded.

What, no kale? How about if it is cooked in beer and put on a pizza with barbecue sauce? Yes, I can see you may be coming around a bit to the idea.

Kale gives this pizza a hearty twist that really eliminates the need for heavy meats. It’s a great way to switch things up from bbq chicken pizza or standard pepperoni.

Barbecue Kale and Onion Pizza on a Whole Wheat Cornmeal Crust

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 Whole Wheat Cornmeal Crust, rolled to about 16 inches, or divide into 2 to 4 smaller pizzas (recipe below)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh kale leaves, chopped
¼ cup beer (ale works well)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of smoked sweet paprika
¾ to 1 cup barbecue sauce (I use a local sauce, Kentucky Smokin’ Grill)
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. whole milk mozzarella, thinly sliced
Crushed red pepper

Prep

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the kale and turn to coat in the oil. Carefully add the beer. Simmer the kale 3 to 5 minutes, until it begins to wilt. Add the salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

Place the crust on a baking sheet or pizza pan that has been greased with olive oil and sprinkled with cornmeal. Spread the barbecue sauce over the crust. Sprinkle ½ of the cheddar cheese over the sauce. Divide the kale evenly over the crust. Place the mozzarella cheese over the kale and top with the rest of the cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if desired.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese begins to bubble and brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 2-3 minutes before slicing. Serves about 4-6.

Whole Wheat Cornmeal Crust

Adapted from Spelt Pizza Dough by Food Embrace

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon mascavo sugar (or brown sugar)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Additional water: 3 to 5 tablespoons

Extra olive oil

Prep

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and stir in the sugar. Set aside and allow the yeast to bloom, about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough attachment, combine the cornmeal, flour and olive oil. Turn the mixer on low, and slowly add the yeast. Add the additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and is smooth, but not sticky.

Once a dough ball is formed, remove it from the bowl and gently knead it on the counter top to form a smooth ball. Place the dough ball back into the bowl and coat it lightly with olive oil.. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour before pressing and rolling into the pizza crust.

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Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw

January 14, 2012

This Tofu Po’Boy sandwich is a remake of a sandwich I loved ordering from one of my favorite places to eat in central Kentucky, Windy Corner Market.

Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw | Fake Food Free

My first experience with tofu was not pleasant. I convinced myself to try it when I was in college because it was what healthy people ate. And being a nutrition major, well, I considered myself a healthy person. After ordering it at a restaurant, it arrived in a stir-fry, mushy and tasteless. This led to my conclusion that while I was healthy, I wasn’t that healthy.

It wasn’t until I traveled to Southeast Asia and tasted tofu for what it truly is – an Asian specialty – that I began to appreciate it. There, it was most often referred to as bean curd, deep fried with a crispy texture, set atop a steaming bowl of veggies and noodles, and it most likely came homemade from the restaurant, or a vendor at the local market. It was delicious.

Bean curd is what I like, not the healthy-people-eat-tofu version I received in the States during that first experience.

Because frying isn’t my specialty, I had yet to make it at home. Then a few months ago I came across a post from Taste Hong Kong with step by step instructions on how to fry tofu.

With tofu fresh on the mind, I met friends at Windy Corner Market on the outskirts of Lexington for a holiday lunch a few weeks ago. I’ve already written about this wonderful, must-try establishment serving up local foods. On my most recent visit, I branched out to try the Tofu Boy for Topher. As the menu describes, “Crispy fried tofu in Black Jack Barbecue Sauce stacked with Earthy Crunchy Slaw, tomatoes, pickles and our special sauce.”

Tofu Po’Boy from Windy Corner Market in central Kentucky | Fake Food Free

Despite the mediocre iPhone picture, I assure you it was delicious.

So, I had some tofu-focused signs telling me that it was time to bring it to my kitchen. As a result, I have my version of the Tofu Boy for Topher. It is different in style and ingredients, but similar in flavors. I also still have a way to go with perfecting fried tofu, but practice makes perfect in the kitchen.

Despite these shortcomings, I am ready to make this again for lunch tomorrow. It’s not Asian-style bean curd, but it’s a lot closer than the first version I tried. And surprisingly, barbecue sauce and crunchy cabbage go wonderfully with tofu.

Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw

2015-07-14 08:49:45

Makes: 2 servings

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Ingredients

6 pieces of tofu about 1 ½ inches wide & ½ inch thick
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce (I use a local favorite, KY Smokin’Grill)
Salt and pepper to taste
12 inch baguette or bun

Instructions

Prepare the tofu by using the instructions at Taste HongKong.
In a bowl, combine the cabbages and green onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo and bbq sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the baguette in half and split down the center. Once the tofu is done, place three pieces on each half of baguette. Divide the slaw and top tofu. Enjoy right away.

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Smoky Chili Non Carne from The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

November 17, 2011

This morning, still groggy, I opened the door to let the dogs out.

Whoa! When did winter get here?

After several weeks of warm autumn temperatures, I do believe we are finally headed into the next season. I don’t mind it at all, but it’s going to take me a while to adapt. Maybe this will help.

If it wasn’t time for chili before, well it certainly is now! And not just any chili, but Smoky Chili Non Carne.

I had the opportunity to review The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook by Maggie Green and loved every minute of it. Maggie’s book is a wonderful, seasonal cooking resource divided by month. The chili can be found in November along with other warming, comforting foods perfect for the season.

You can head over to Cooks & Books & Recipes to read more about it and get the recipe.

Fried Egg over Kale and Quinoa

November 15, 2011

The words big breakfast lead one to conjure up all types of vivid images. Maybe it’s omelets with bacon and toast, waffles with country ham or biscuits and sausage gravy. Or, if you are anywhere near the vicinity of the southern US it might mean all of the above.

As much as I enjoy all of our traditional breakfast favorites, I also love redefining the big breakfast. Considering that I can barely go a day without eating kale in one form or another it’s no surprise that I’m now having it in the morning. Greens with eggs and grains have recently climbed the ranks as a favorite breakfast which can also easily pass as lunch and dinner.

I went to a farm to table breakfast a couple weeks ago and was greeted with sautéed kale over grits topped with a fried egg. Morning meal contentment right there.

I decided to recreate it at home and since I already had some cooked quinoa on hand from the Cranberry Orange Quinoa Stuffing, I thought I’d use that instead of grits.

I learned a little tip at that breakfast from the chef who was preparing our meal – add a splash of apple cider vinegar to your greens to perk up the flavor. I’d never done that before, but it gives the greens a nice tang. It doesn’t take much. Just a splash in the pan a few minutes before they are done cooking is perfect.

I’ve just come around to undercooked eggs, i.e. a runny yolk. It’s taken me a while, but I now find when I use farm fresh, local eggs and they are served over something like greens or grits that I love them. No worries if they aren’t your thing, just take the egg to your desired doneness.

Then, if you are like me, you’ll want to drizzle whole thing with your favorite hot sauce. My hot sauce of the hour is Sriracha which is amazing with sautéed greens.

Fried Egg over Kale and Quinoa

1 tbsp olive oil
1 to 1 ½ lbs kale, stem removed and chopped
½ large onion, thinly sliced
10 – 15 white button mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock
Splash of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
4 farm fresh eggs
1 cup cooked quinoa, seasoned to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the kale and turn to coat in the oil. Add the onions and mushrooms. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. As the kale begins to wilt, add in the chicken stock and simmer until it evaporates gently turning the kale to cook it down further. Add the apple cider vinegar.

Stir in the sunflower seeds if using. Cook 1-2 minute more. Season with the salt, pepper and red pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, fry all 4 eggs to your desired doneness. Top will a little ground black pepper on each side.

On each plate, place ¼ cup quinoa, ¼ of the kale and one egg. Top with hot sauce and serve warm.

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Cranberry Orange Quinoa Stuffing with Pecans in an Acorn Squash

November 11, 2011

The first smells of Thanksgiving drifted through our kitchen this week. I’m talking about that aroma of celery, onion and sage cooking on the stove; the very core of the standard stuffing.

From that point, stuffing can go just about any direction. This time mine headed straight towards cranberry, orange and quinoa and then took a right turn and hopped directly into an acorn squash.

I used the unseasoned croutons I made from leftover Pain de Mie Complet and instead of using all bread as I would with my usual stuffing; I substituted some of it with cooked quinoa. Pecans added a little crunch and I loaded mine with cranberries. You can adjust most of the ingredients to your liking and perhaps add some diced apple or apricots, use walnuts or change the flavors with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

I was a little unsure of what the result would be, but was pleasantly surprised. This could easily make the Thanksgiving table both for flavor and appearance, but we used it as a main course and training for the big day.

Cranberry Orange Quinoa Stuffing with Pecans in an Acorn Squash

1 small acorn squash
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
½ lg onion, diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of one orange
1 ¼ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp celery salt
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup unseasoned croutons
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 – 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup chopped pecans
½ cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prep the squash by splitting it in half. Remove the seeds. Gently pierce the flesh with a fork. Drizzle and coat with olive oil. Place in a greased baking dish and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter or heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Next, stir in the orange zest, poultry seasoning, dry mustard, celery salt, salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add the croutons and quinoa. Stir in the orange juice and then add the stock one ½ cup at a time. The amount of stock you need will depend on the type of bread pieces you use. Mine were chopped fine so I used about 1 cup. You want the stuffing to absorb all the liquid, but be moist enough so that you can firmly stuff it into the squash. It should be able to hold its shape when pressed together.

Once the stock is added, stir in the pecans and cranberries. Evenly divide the stuffing and use a spoon to transfer and gently stuff the mixture into each half of the acorn squash.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as a side dish.

Need some more ideas for ways to stuff your acorn squash? Check out A Healthy Passion and Find Your Balance Health.

Coconut Fish with Kale

November 6, 2011

It’s difficult for a meal to be light, but at the same time comforting and filling. Somehow, though, this recipe seems to do it.

The idea of poaching fish in coconut milk was new to me when I came across a recipe for Coconut Poached Mahi Mahi in the September 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I did some modifying by first using some heartier greens – kale. I then used up the very last of our Anaheim peppers from the garden and pulled out one Thai chili I had harvested earlier in the season and tucked away in the freezer.
You can serve this alone, with rice or have it like I did with a nutty serving of quinoa. I’m convinced that this is the one and only way to enjoy good fish! The coconut milk is sweet with a warming heat. Matched with the kale, it’s the perfect dish for a cold evening while the fish adds a light, refreshing note.

Coconut Fish with Kale
Modified from Coconut Poached Mahi Mahi Better Homes and Gardens Sept 2011

1-15 oz can coconut milk
4 Anaheim peppers, thinly sliced
1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
½ cup water
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
½ tbsp raw sugar
3 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
3-4, 4oz cod fillets

Using a medium to large pot (I used a 5 ½ qt Dutch oven), set the stove to medium-high and add the coconut milk, peppers, water and ginger. Stir and slowly bring to a simmer. Add the sugar and the kale.

Slowly turn the kale to coat it with the coconut milk until it begins to wilt, about 3 min.

Place the fish in the coconut milk. Partially cover the pot with a lid, slightly increase the heat to bring the milk to a simmer. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the fish is white, cooked through and flakes when using a fork.

Place each piece of fish in a shallow bowl, add some kale and ladle coconut milk over the top. Serve with rice or quinoa if desired.

Sweet Potato Date Bars

October 27, 2011

I’m always up for a challenge in the kitchen. This time it was sugar, or rather the challenge of not using it.

Sweet potatoes and dates, that’s what I had to work with. I’m not quite sure why those were the two ingredients I wanted to use, but I had them on hand so I went with it. Knowing dates are perfect for sweetening up desserts, I wanted to use as little sugar as possible.

It turns out I didn’t need to use any.

Now this doesn’t mean they are sweetener free. I did add a little bit of pure maple syrup, which by make-up is a form of sugar. Kentucky Maple Syrup actually which I never knew existed until this year. Turns out it’s excellent.

I decided to go sans butter as well and the coconut oil was perfect. I used it at a softened, cold butter like consistency for the crust and melted for the filling. You can make your own oat flour by simply pulsing old fashioned rolled oats in a food processor a few times.

Like a sweet potato pie, these bars have a soft, spiced filling and a crisp crust. The potatoes, dates, maple syrup and coconut oil (not to mention a wee bit of bourbon) come together to provide just the right amount of sweetness. I promise you won’t miss the sugar at all.

Sweet Potato Date Bars

Crust

¼ cup oat flour
¾ cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, at a soft butter-like consistency
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp water

Filling

1 cup cooked sweet potato, peeled and mashed
4 whole, pitted dates, chopped
1 tbsp bourbon
6 tbsp milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with coconut oil.

In a small bowl, combine the oat flour and wheat flour. Add the coconut oil and with a pastry blender break it up into small pieces as you incorporate it into the dough. You should end up with pea size coconut oil pieces throughout the flour.

Add the syrup and the water. The dough should be somewhat crumbly, but hold together when pressed. Transfer to the baking dish and press evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a small food processor add the sweet potato, dates, bourbon and 2 tablespoons of milk. Pulse until smooth and the dates are blended in and almost visibly unnoticeable. Add a little more milk if it is too thick to blend.

Transfer sweet potato mixture to a medium size bowl. Stir in the remaining milk and maple syrup. Add the melted coconut oil and stir well. Make sure the batter isn’t too warm if you used warm coconut oil. Allow to cool before adding the egg if it is. Add the egg and mix until combined. Finally stir in the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

Pour the mixture over the crust, spread evenly. Return to the oven and bake 25 – 30 minutes, until the center is firm and an inserted knife comes out clean. Makes 9-12 bars depending on how large you’d like to cut them.