If you’re looking for fresh, flavorful, and healthy eats in the Encinitas or San Diego area, I definitely recommend checking out Nectarine Grove. Everything here happens to be gluten-free, in case that’s of interest to you. But after dining al fresco recently with my family, we found delish eats to meet please everyone’s palates. Nectarine Grove churns out food created with intent, love & your health in mind. Whether you’re paleo, vegan, keto, a health food enthusiast, or you just like good food, I bet you’ll find something up your alley. From grass-fed burgers to falafel tacos to roasted veggie bowls with butternut noodles, there were tasty eats for the whole fam to enjoy. I love that they use fresh, organic, local, and sustainable ingredients- that quality is really evident in each prepared dish. Everything was so tasty and flavorful! Nectarine Grove also has an impressive amount of beverages on tap- take your pick from nitro coffee and kombucha to biodynamic wines and gluten free beers! Yum! I can’t wait to go back and try some of their smoothies and baked goods soon- that cinnamon roll is calling my name!
grain-free pecan pie bars
I can’t believe the holiday season is soon upon us. This year has really flown by! One of the first things that comes to mind when I think holidays is holiday baking! From festive pies at Thanksgiving to cookie exchanges at Christmas, I’m truly here for it all! Pecan pie is a southern fave for good reason- that gooey caramelized filling, with candied pecans, and a buttery shortbread crust is hard to beat. But to be honest, many pecan pies can be sickeningly sweet, and I’m not a huge fan of the corn syrup filling that is traditionally used. I also understand pies can be a bit of an overwhelming undertaking, and so I love the approach of somewhat more casual pecan pie bars! These in particular are made with a coconut milk and date filling, along with a butter and almond flour based crust. Plus lots of gooey pecans!
These are equally as delicious as their pie-counterpart, but can be eaten with your hands! Served in a bowl topped with a big scoop of ice cream ain’t bad either, just sayin’. My bestie Rachel Mcconn at Rachel Mcconn Wellness (who I’ve baked with before & also loves a good sweet treat) developed this grain, gluten, and refined sugar- free pecan pie bar recipe, and asked me to test out the recipe for her. Okay, fine, twist my arm ;) These turned out super tasty- not to mention made the house smell absolutely fantastic- and I think they’d make a perfect addition to any holiday table. She has offered to share the recipe with my readers- so head on over to her site for the recipe! As always with RMW recipes, these are free of all gluten, grains, and refined sugars, so those with any allergies or restrictions can still indulge freely as well. Hope you enjoy, and happy holidays!
real coconut kitchen
I love that there are so many fresh, healthy and flavorful eats in my area of Los Angeles. You can find tasty yet nourishing food almost anywhere you go, and that truly just makes my heart sing. Real Coconut Kitchen is a plant-focused, 100% gluten, grain, and dairy free restaurant serving up vibrant food in a chic Malibu setting. Their recipes truly define what it means to be a conscious kitchen- doing good for both your body and the world as a whole. Real Coconut sources organic produce, pasture-raised eggs and chicken, and wild-caught seafood from local farms and fisherman, and this quality commitment really shines through in every dish.
I’ve gotten to dine at Real Coconut Kitchen on a number of occasions now- from a quick smoothie & baked good to several lavish lunches on the outdoor patio, I’ve sampled quite a bit of the menu at this point, and there are many standouts. The fish tacos are light and crispy, with a zesty jalapeno radish salsa, served on housemade coconut flour tortillas. Seasonal salads are always a hit- can’t go wrong with nourishing veggies in my book! My bestie Rachel of Rachel Mcconn Wellness got us hooked on their Fried Chicken Bites (and even created her own version at home!)- the coconut buttermilk and grain-free plantain batter are anything but traditional, but super delicious all the same. I’m a big fan of their smoothies and shakes- from the Deep Green health infusion to indulgent-tasting Mint Choco Chip (sweetened with dates!), there’s something for everyone. My son thoroughly enjoyed his vegan blueberry lemon donut as well!
Besides the stellar food, another impressive aspect of The Real Coconut family is their focus on conscious food innovation. Their menus focus on low impact and nutrient dense hero crops: coconut, cassava, plantain, hemp, and marine phytoplankton to name a few. I love that they proudly support local & international farmers and agricultural programs, recognizing the impact each ingredient choice can make along the way. In addition, they continually strive to minimize their environmental impact, through reducing food waste, recycling and composting programs, repurposing cooking oil for biodiesel, and using low to no plastic, whenever possible. Talk about impressive! They also have a Market, where they sell some of their packaged items like plantain flour bread, cassava flour bagels, coconut yogurt, coconut flour tortilla chips, and more, so you can stock up your pantry at home as well! PS- the original Real Coconut Kitchen location is in Tulum. Perhaps a Mexico trip is in order soon?!
tahini chocolate chip blondies
I’m obsessed with any and all things tahini. I eat it multiple times a day, whether it’s drizzled over roasted veggies and lamb meatballs for dinner or spooned into Medjool dates with chocolate chips for a sweet treat, tahini is the jam. It also makes for a delicious baking ingredient! Its creamy, fatty, smooth texture makes it a wonderful butter, oil, and/or nut butter alternative in many recipes. Plus, tahini and chocolate is such a tasty combo. This recipe uses wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients, but still tastes oh so rich and decadent. Tahini chocolate chip blondies that are gluten & grain free, paleo, and refined sugar free as well? Sign me up!
Tahini Chocolate Chip Blondies:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup tahini (plus extra for drizzling)
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)
flakey sea salt, for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan (double recipe for 13x9 inch pan) with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl or base of a stand mixer, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated, careful not to over mix (it will be thick!). Fold in the chocolate chips. Add batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25-26 minutes until edges are just slightly golden, but center may seem slightly underdone. Check using a cake tester- if it comes out mostly clean, they should be ready. Don’t overbake as grain-free baked goods will continue to set in the pan. Let blondies cool in pan for about five minutes before removing and allowing them to cool completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and drizzle with tahini, if desired. Cut into bars and enjoy!
*Adapted from Paleo Chocolate Chip Tahini Blondies by Ambitious Kitchen.
sweet laurel bakery cake shop
I had been plotting my visit to the Sweet Laurel Bakery Cake Shop over in the Palisades for quite some time now. I’m a huge fan of Laurel herself (and her cottage is to die for), as well as her delectable baked goods! But as well all know, the pandemic hit, and so I really haven’t been out & about all that much. In the meantime, I’ve been baking up a storm from the cookbook, and boy are there some tasty recipes to be had! Sweet Laurel recipes are all gluten, grain, and refined sugar free, and many are also vegan as well, making them a great choice for anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions. My bestie Rachel McConn (an amazing nutritional therapy practitioner & natural foods chef, by the way) came up from San Diego to hang for a night, and since she has Celiac Disease, the bakery has been on her must-visit list as well. We headed out on a (safe & socially distanced) mission for sweets, and we were not disappointed.
The star of the show was the ice cream sandwich- snickerdoodle cookies with chocolate ice cream. This was so delicious, not to mention all vegan & gluten free! It totally hit the spot on a hot summer day. I can never say no to carrot cake, so had to get a slice of that as well. This one is lightly sweet, and studded with walnuts and raisins. The probiotic cashew cream frosting is super unique and provides such a nice tang! Even my one year old got in on the sampling, and he was definitely a fan. I can’t wait to return to try some of their super food lattes and keto frappes- yum! And lastly, don’t miss Laurel’s new savory cookbook, which is now available for preorder!
grain free vanilla cake with pumpkin cream frosting
I love fall. The weather, the colors, the fashion… The flavors and food! It’s oh so comforting and delicious, and this vanilla cake with pumpkin cream is just that. Pumpkin spice and pumpkin pies are everywhere this time of year, but they can be a bit boring, no? I’m more of a cake than pie person anyway, to be honest… This cake goes a bit beyond your typical pumpkin dessert- moist vanilla cake makes up the base, topped with layers of smooth pumpkin frosting (basically a cream cheese & buttercream hybrid!), and finished with plenty of shredded coconut! Plus, since you can mix up the frosting flavor with whatever fruit you fancy, it’s adaptable for all seasons. Win! This cake is actually grain-free as well, so even those with gluten sensitivities can enjoy a piece. The vanilla really comes through thanks to the use of whole vanilla bean pods, as opposed to just vanilla extract, so don’t skip out if you can get your hands on some! But if you can’t find them, just up the vanilla extract to one tablespoon, and you’ll be fine. It’ll be delicious either way. I think this cake is even better the next day, which is great for all your holiday meals when the kitchen gets busy. Just bake it ahead of time and decorate before serving! I hope you enjoy.
Grain-Free Vanilla Cake:
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 3/4 cups cane sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
1 whole vanilla bean pod, scraped
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp finely ground sea salt
Pumpkin Cream Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons milk of choice, if needed
Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 9” round cake pans (or three 6” round cake pans) with parchment paper and grease them with butter or nonstick spray, then set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer), whip butter, coconut oil and sugar together on high until smooth, then reduce speed and add eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low, and add in milk, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla extract until well mixed. In a separate mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and sea salt. Use a spatula or fork to get rid of any large lumps. Slowly add flour mixture into wet ingredients in small batches with mixer on low speed until fully incorporated. Careful not to over-mix (it will be thick)! Divide batter into cakes pans, spreading evenly with a spatula. I like to bang the cake pans a couple times on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake cakes for about 38-40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow them to cool for at least 30 minutes in the pans on a cooling rack before flipping them out onto a the rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the cakes cool, make your buttercream frosting. Place softened butter, cream cheese and pumpkin puree in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, and whip until creamy. Add vanilla extract, spices, and salt, mixing until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix on high for a few minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. If it’s too thick, add milk 1 tbsp at a time, until it gets to desired consistency. You may make this ahead of time, and store in the fridge for a couple days. Just bring to room temperature and re-whip before frosting. To decorate, use a sharp knife to level off the tops of cakes, if needed, then layer on cake stand (or revolving cake stand) and decorate with frosting, as desired. Top with shredded coconut. Slice and enjoy!
*Adapted from Grain Free Vanilla Cake by Everyday Maven.
