Almond Joy No-Bake Cookies (Gluten free)

I had a great couple days celebrating the birth of our first granddaughter. I think the angels sing each time a child is born. It is a sweet time. It is wonderful to watch my son become a Dad and our daughter in law become a Mom. What a the sweetest things in life. I look forward to going and seeing her soon.

These are a fun healthier option than eating an almond joy. They  are a greaat little treat or a great way to get a protein boost. These are a winner.



Ingredients
3 ounces dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup almonds, chopped
2 cups unsweetened coconut
3 T chia *optional

Directions  Makes 15
1. Melt the chocolate chips, oil, and honey in a small saucepan on low. Stir in the coconut milk.

2. Take off the heat. Stir in the coconut almonds, and chia until well mixed.

3. Scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in 1.5 inch balls. Place them in the fridge to harden, at least 1/2 hour.

4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or serve immediately.

Here is another No bake chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe.

Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Soup with Brown Rice)

I had a friend tell me how much she enjoyed this soup at a Thai restaurant, so I decided it would be fun to see if I could make it at home. Think coconut, ginger, lemongrass . . . mmmmm. It was fun to try something new. The family really enjoyed it. It was a hit. It was a nice light meal. I will definitely be making it again.

Ingredients: Serves about 8
2 Cans of coconut milk
6 C chicken broth ( I just used the water that I cooked the chicken in)
1/2 tsp salt
4 stalks fresh lemon grass (wash it well and chop in pieces)
6 red shallots (peel and chop into small pieces)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp coriander
2 handfuls of cilantro leaves
1-2 jalapeno peppers* (seeded and chopped) depends on how spicy you want it?
2 T fresh ginger chopped or galanga I used ginger. couldn't find the galanga)
zest from one lime
*opt. 1 to 2 tsp chili garlic sauce ( I didn't use this time.)
3 C cooked chicken chopped into pieces (cooked in 6 C water and used for broth)
1 C chopped mushrooms
3 T fish sauce
2 T lime juice
1 handful of cilantro if desired
6 C of cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. In a pot on the stove on medium heat cook, milk, broth, salt, lemon grass, shallots, garlic, coriander and cilantro, peppers, ginger, and zest. Let it all cook together about 15 min. You can fish out the lemon grass at this point.

2. Then add the chicken, mushrooms and fish sauce. Cook another 10 min.

3. Stir in lime juice and another handful of cilantro if desired. Heat 3 more min.

4. Serve it over brown rice or you could eat it without the rice. Enjoy

*You could use serrano peppers.

Coconut Lime Curry Chicken with Coconut Brown Rice

This was a fun meal. We had some Thai food over the weekend that we enjoyed. :) I decided it would be fun to have some more. It went over well. It is nice to switch it up, and have something new. I guess my family gets new often. :)

Ingredients

Rice
1 1/2 C Brown Rice
1/2 Coconut milk
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp turmeric
1 T dried onions
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 C water

Chicken mixture
2 C cilantro chopped up
1 T olive oil
1 T coconut oil
2 T lime juice
3 T water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp honey
1 tsp curry
1/2 C water
3/4 C coconut milk
1 lb chicken tenders
1 tsp chili garlic sauce *optional (gave it a little zip)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pour all the ingredients for the rice in your pressure cooker, rice maker or pot. Cook the amount of time you normally do for your rice. (I cooked it in the pressure cooker for 17 min on hing pressure and let it sit while I prepared the rest of the meal)

2. Heat in a skillet oil, Cilantro, lime juice, water, honey and salt. Let it cook for about 3 min.

3. Then add the remaining ingredients. (water, 1/2 C coconut milk, curry, chicken and *optional chili garlic sauce. Let them cook together, stirring. Cut up the chicken tenders. When the chicken is all cooked turn to low, add another 1/4 C coconut milk and stir in, and let cook with lid on for 5-10 min. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. I mixed the rice with the chicken. (I didn't add a 1/2 C of the rice. It had enough without it.) You could just pour the chicken on top, it's your preference.

Enjoy! We did!

Thai Fried Sweet Brown Rice

This could be a fun dinner for Valentines! I have been reading the benefits of Curry and Turmeric. I have not cooked with them a whole lot. It was fun to try it something new. You should give it a try. We enjoyed it. I hope you do as well.

Ingredients:

4 C sweet brown rice
2 C canned coconut milk
1 1/2 C water
4 T coconut oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1 whole onion chopped fine
3 T grated ginger root
1 lb of chicken tenders (cut in small pieces)
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric *optional
2 eggs beaten
1 leek chopped fine

Directions: Serves about 4

1. Cook brown rice with the water and coconut milk. You may have to adjust your liquid according to how you cook it. I cooked mine in the pressure cooker. Allow enough time for the rice to cool, before it is added to the mixture. Otherwise the rice will absorb to much oil. I spread the rice on a cookie sheet to cool it faster.

2. Heat a wok or frying pan add 2 T of the oil. Then add ginger, garlic, and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes while stirring.

3. Then add the chicken and 2 T oil to the pan. Cook until it is all cooked. Then add the rice with
cook on high heat for 3 min.

4. Stir in the peppers, curry, *turmeric with salt to taste. Cook tossing it for 1 min. Stir in the eggs. and cook until the eggs are completely cooked. Garnish chopped leek. Enjoy!