Not Necessarily a Snap

I had a request for this recipe.  It is fairly easy, but you have to love ginger snaps to make it worth your while.

Ginger Snaps

These are very spicy and very crispy.  If they are too spicy for you, just cut the spices in half and keep everything else the same.  They are excellent with hot tea.  They keep their crispness even after freezing.  They will keep for a week or more in an air tight container.

Ingredients

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons coconut crystals

2 tablespoons butter substitute

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup almond meal flour

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon coconut flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes.   Add the coconut crystals and continue to simmer for 2 minutes longer. 

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter substitute and vanilla extract.

Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.  

Pour in the melted ingredients and mix on medium  until a ball of dough forms.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball then roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness between 2 pieces of parchment paper.

Use cookie cutters or biscuit cutter to cut shapes of the dough, then peel away the dough between the shapes.

Transfer the bottom sheet of parchment with the cookies to a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until browned and crisp around the edges.

Add the trimmed dough to the next ball and repeat the rolling, cutting process.  Re roll the trimmed part until all the dough is used.

Slide parchment paper off the cookie sheet onto a cooling when you take it out of the oven.

Quick Easy Hamburger Adobo

Since the holidays I have done nothing new in the cooking department.  I have been remaking all the wonderful holiday treats and old faithful recipes from my collection.

The dish below, Hamburger Adobo, is one of our favorites.  It is one of the few dishes of which John almost always gets seconds.  It also makes great left overs.  It does not freeze well, however, but it is versatile. There is a bit of prep involved, but only one pan gets dirtied.

This dish is a stand alone dinner, but I usually serve some fruit or pickled beets with it.

Hamburger Adobo

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef (or shredded chicken, steak, or pork.)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

1 cup red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

2 cups matchstick-cut carrots

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets (or cauliflower)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons coconut crystals

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

salt and black pepper to taste

2 cups green beans, cooked (or lima beans, or peas, or other vegetables as desired.)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  I use my electric skillet for this dish.

Cook the ground beef (or other meat) in the hot oil until completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Add the onion, garlic, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, carrots, broccoli (or cauliflower), apple cider vinegar, crystals, Worcestershire sauce, aminos sauce, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just losing their crispness, about 20 minutes. 

Stir in green beans (or other vegetable) about 5 minutes before serving.