I have saved this recipe from Bon Appétit for three years now!! I finally decided to make it. It was very flavorful and refreshing. Too bad strawberries are not my friend anymore.

1 pound strawberries, hulled, quartered
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Salt
3 teaspoons sugar, divided (I used Monk fruit)
½ cup crème fraîche
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup unsalted, roasted pistachios

Toss strawberries, cucumbers, cardamom, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp. sugar in a medium bowl and let sit 10 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve and flavors to meld.

Meanwhile, mix crème fraîche, lemon juice, remaining 2 tsp. sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl; set lemon cream aside.

Divide fruit salad among plates and spoon reserved lemon cream over; sprinkle with  pistachios.

With Slim Twin Cardamom Ice Cream

With Slim Twin Chocolate Ice Cream

I made a cashew milk chai latte and added the ice cream. A very good and comforting treat.

• 6 oz . dark chocolate (I used 85%)
• 1/3 cup mashed avocado (about 1 small avocado)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1. Combine the chocolate, vanilla extract and pinch of salt over a double boiler, and melt until completely smooth. (I just use an oven safe bowl over my small saucepan for this.) Mash the avocado with a fork until no lumps are visible, then stir it into the melted chocolate mixture until smooth and thickened. Place in the fridge to set for 20 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch.
2. Once the mixture has been chilled and is slightly firm, use a tablespoon to scoop the chocolate into 12 balls. Place them on a pan lined with parchment paper, and roll the balls between the palms of your hand to create an smooth surface.
3. Place the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in small bowl, and roll each truffle into the cocoa to coat. Serve at room temperature, but store in the fridge for a lasting shelf life.

I saved this recipe a while ago and finally decided to make it. It turned out well.

4 carrots (13.8 oz)
Flaxseeds, blitzed/ flaxmeal (2.1 oz)
Pumpkin seeds (1.8 oz)
Sunflower seeds (1.4 oz)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
2 heaped tbsp of chopped fresh thyme
Good pinch pink Himalayan salt

Preheat the oven to 375 °F (fan assisted) and grease a loaf pan. (I used a Silicone pan)
Chop the carrots into chunks and blitz in a food processor until it resembles a rice consistency.
Whisk the eggs with a fork. Mix the blitzed carrots, flaxseed meal, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, olive oil, eggs, salt and fresh thyme together in a bowl.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for about 40 – 45 minutes until you can insert and remove a skewer without any crumbs sticking. Allow to cool and remove from the pan. Slice and enjoy.

I got the recipe from Real Simple. A very refreshing summer-y dish and very flavorful.

Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (I cooked my own)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
8 ounces green beans or haricots verts, stem ends trimmed
4 large eggs
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons tahini
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
2 romaine lettuce hearts, leaves separated
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, chopped
½ cup Gaeta or Niçoise olives
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add chickpeas; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Stir in cumin and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove from heat; set aside.

Cook green beans in a pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer beans to a bowl of ice water; drain and pat dry. Return water in pot to a simmer; gently lower in eggs and cook 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, tahini, garlic, 1 tablespoon warm water, and remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons oil; set aside.

Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let cool 5 minutes, then peel and quarter.

Assemble chickpeas, green beans, and eggs on a platter with romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and cheese. Drizzle with dressing.

I have always loved Tzatziki. I loved it so much, I had to double the recipe the second time. Very refreshing and perfect for the hot summer days. I got the recipe from Saveur.

Ingredients
1⁄2 large English cucumber, peeled
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp. finely chopped dill
2 tbsp. finely chopped mint
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions
Grate cucumber using the large holes of a box grater; transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Toss cucumber with 1 tbsp. salt; let sit 10 minutes. Squeeze excess water from cucumber and transfer to a bowl. Stir in yogurt, dill, mint, lemon juice, garlic paste, shallot, salt, and pepper; drizzle with oil.

• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or Cocoa nibs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix shredded zucchini, almond butter, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla with whisk until well combined and creamy. Stir in coconut flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix until just combined. Next, fold in chocolate chip reserving about a tablespoon for sprinkling on top.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle the tablespoon of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The bread will develop a nice brown crust, so don’t be nervous if you observe this while baking.
4. Once done baking, remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Once cool enough, remove bread from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Very tasty brownie recipe from a food blogger. Even though I cut down the sugar, I still found it a little too sweet. Next time I will reduce the sugar even more.

Ingredients
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup maple syrup (I used 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus more

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease an 8- by 8-inch pan with coconut oil.

2. Combine tahini, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and eggs in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Add melted and cooled coconut oil. Add in cocoa powder incrementally, a couple spoons at a time, folding batter throughout to ensure that it is well combined between additions. Add coconut flour and baking soda and mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Press additional chocolate chips on top.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.