If you are serving this to family, let them remove the 3 bay leaves as they find them in the soup. The flavors will be subtle and complex, with a predominance of mushroom, and a hint of coconut. This is on the permanent soup list for a meal at our house.

Intense Mushroom Coconut Soup

Servings: 3
Preparation Time: 30–40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups boiling water
• 2 bouillon cubes: one vegetable and one chicken flavor (or fresh soup stock)
• 8 ounces chopped fresh mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (*made from dried coconut for flavor)
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons fresh grind black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• garnish with chopped cucumber and celery leaves

Directions:

Boil 4 cups water in a medium pot and add the bouillon cubes until they dissolve, or use stock.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the cubes to dissolve, finely chop your mushrooms, then add them to the stock and set this aside for 20 minutes.

Sauté the chopped onion in the coconut oil in a heavy-bottom soup pot for 6 minutes or until the onions are transparent and golden.

After 20 minutes, strain the mushrooms from the bouillon liquid and reserve the liquid. Add the strained mushrooms to the sautéed onions. Add the thyme. Sauté for another 6 minutes or until tender.

Add the bay leaves, minced garlic, and white wine, heating for another minute.

For thickener: Take 1/2 cup of reserved broth (which has cooled a little by now) and put into a clean jar with 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (or a few tablespoons of cornstarch for gluten-free) and 2 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce. Put the lid on and shake to mix.

Add the rest of the broth and the cup coconut milk to the mushroom mix and heat to simmer. Thicken by drizzling in the wheat and fish sauce mix from the jar, simmer, and stir about 3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Salt and pepper to taste. Let the flavors blend for another 10 minutes if you can wait. Next, remove the bay leaves, then heat and serve. Garnish with a mound of chopped cucumber and celery leaves, if desired.

*For the freshest coconut milk, make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Recipe and photo submitted by Karen, Fraser, MI.

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Grain-Free Chocolate, Cherry Blondies

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons grass-fed butter or coconut oil, softened
• 1/2–3/4 cup sugar
• 1 pastured egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2–3/4 cup cherries (cut into fourths)**

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the softened butter/oil and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to blend.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture as you continue to beat until well combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips and, lastly, fold in the cherries.

Bake for about 25 minutes until slightly brown.

Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting into them (I prefer these out of the refrigerator cold).

**It is almost impossible to find fresh cherries this time of year, so frozen is what you will use. They tend to be very dark in color, and that is why this looks like a blueberry blondie. It is best to keep them frozen until you have added the chocolate chips so they do not melt and bleed into the dough.

Recipe and photo submitted by Kate, Highlands Ranch, CO.

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Almond, Coconut Chocolate

Servings: 6–12
Preparation Time: 5–10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cups coconut oil
• 1 cup organic cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon whole sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup almonds

Directions:

Melt coconut oil over low heat. Transfer coconut oil to medium mixing bowl. Add cocoa powder, whole sugar, and vanilla and mix until well blended. Stir in coconut flakes and almonds.

Pour onto wax paper and put in freezer to harden. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Recipe and photo submitted by Lisa, Geneva, IL.

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