The photo on the left, below, is my daughter on her second birthday, 37 years ago. From the time she could talk, she requested that cake for every birthday. The photo on the right is her son, my younger grandson, picking strawberries here in Maine last year. You can bet that those berries (the ones that were left after he and his brother filled their bellies in the field) went into some delicious Paleo shortcakes.
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Ingredients
For biscuit
1 large egg white
3 TBS almond or cashew flour
2 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp coconut sugar
1 1/4 tsp ghee, refrigerated until cold
1 tsp ghee for greasing measuring cup

For strawberries
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 tsp coconut sugar

​For whipped topping
Cream from top of one can organic coconut milk (refrigerate for a few hours so cream will be solid)
Maple syrup to taste
(Note: Since this cake is only one serving, you may not want to use all the whipped coconut cream...that's a lot of calories! Save the rest for another day)

1 whole strawberry for garnish

1. Mix sliced strawberries with 1 tsp coconut sugar ( or more, depending on the sweetness of your strawberries) and set aside
2.Melt the 1 tsp ghee in a two cup glass measuring cup in the microwave. Carefully rotate the cup until the melted ghee coats the bottom and sides. Pour out and discard excess.
3.Whisk egg whites until frothy; set aside
4. In a bowl, whisk almond (or cashew) and coconut flours, baking powder, salt and 1 tsp coconut sugar
5. With your fingers, mix in the cold ghee until mixture is crumbly. Put in refrigerator for 10 minutes, then remove and fold in egg white.
6. Scoop batter into the greased measuring cup and microwave for 60 seconds. Remove from microwave and check for doneness. It may need a little more time, but microwave in 20 second increments. If it cooks too long, biscuit will harden.
7. Cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, then place small plate over cup and turn over. Biscuit will drop onto plate. Do not assemble cake until,biscuit is fully cooled.
8. Remove can of coconut milk from refrigerator and scoop cream from the top into a bowl. Using hand mixer, mix until fluffy. Stir in maple syrup to taste.
9. To assemble short cake, place biscuit on a plate, top with sliced strawberries and the strawberry syrup that has accumulated in the bowl, then top with whipped coconut cream and garnish with whole strawberry.
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Ingredients
For cake
4 Tbs almond or cashew flour
3 tsp coconut flour
1 TBS flax seed  meal (ground flax seeds)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1/2 banana, mashed with a fork
1 Tbs raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 TBS coconut oil melted in microwave
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp coconut oil for greasing measuring cup

For whipped topping
1 recipe whipped coconut cream topping (see Strawberry Shortcake recipe, above)

For banana filling and topping
1/2 banana, sliced
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1. Melt the one tsp coconut oil in 2-cup glass measuring cup in microwave.  Carefully rotate the cup until the oil coats the bottom and sides. Pour out and discard the excess.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add mashed banana, honey, vanilla, egg, 2 TBS melted coconut oil, and grated lemon rind to the dry ingredients pand mix until well-combined.
4. Pour batter into greased measuring cup and microwave for 90 seconds. Check cake and if still wet, microwave in 20 second increments until done. Do not overcook.
5. Let cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, then put small plate over cup and turn over. Cake will slide onto plate. Let cool completely.
6. Slice cake in half, horizontally, to create two layers.
7. Smooth half the whipped topping on the top of the bottom layer, cover that with sliced bananas and place top layer on top of the bananas
8. Smooth the rest of the whipped topping on the top layer, then garnish with the rest of the sliced bananas.

Ingredients
For cake
4 TBS almond or cashew flour
4 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
Juice and grated zest from 1/2 large lemon
2 eggs
3 TBS raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp coconut oil to grease measuring cup

For whipped topping
1 recipe whipped coconut cream topping (see Strawberry Shortcake recipe, above), combined with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 thin slice fresh lemon, for garnish
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1. Melt the 2 tsp coconut oil in a 2-cup glass measuring cup in a microwave
2. In a bowl, whisk together the almond (or cashew) flour, the coconut flour, the baking powder and sea salt
3. Add lemon juice and zest, eggs, honey and vanilla extract and mix well until all ingredients are combined
4. Pour batter into greased measuring cup and cook in microwave for 90 seconds. Check cake and if still wet, cook in 20 second increments until cake is done. Be careful not to overcook.
5. Let cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, then put small plate over cup and turn over. Cake will slide onto plate.
6. When cake is completely cool, slice in half horizontally to create 2 layers.
7. Smooth half the whipped topping over bottom layer, and place top layer on bottom layer.
8. Top with the rest of the whipped topping and garnish with lemon slice.

Spoiler alert: This cake is pretty labor intensive for a tiny little cake, but I wanted to see if it could be done in a microwave. It can, and it is delicious, but I think that when I  make it again, it will be a full-sized cake, baked in the oven (which only takes 15 minutes). So, for the holidays next winter, I will include a recipe for a full-sized Bûche de Noël for your enjoyment ( just be sure to invite a lot of people over because you do not want leftovers of this creamy, chocolaty delight calling to you from the fridge, trust me).

​Ingredients
For cake
1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
1 tsp tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
2 eggs, separated
1/2 TBS cacao or organic cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp coconut oil for greasing glass loaf pan

Parchment paper to line bottom of pan
Clean dish towel for rolling cake

For vanilla filling
1/2 cup cream from top of can of organic coconut milk (put can in refrigerator for a few hours to harden cream)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For chocolate frosting (from Elana's Pantry, www.elanaspantry.com)
1/4 cup Paleo-friendly chocolate chips or chunks (I use Foods Alive Chocolate Medallions, which are sweetened with coconut sugar)
2 TBS coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sprig of fresh mint for garnish
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1.  Melt coconut oil in glass loaf pan (8 1/2 by 2 1/2 by 4 1/2); swirl oil around so sides and bottom of pan are greased, cut parchment paper to size and put in bottom of pan
2. Whisk together the maple or coconut sugar with tapioca or arrowroot to make powdered sugar, or shake these ingredients in a covered jar until combined.
3. With hand mixer at high speed, mix egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup powdered maple or coconut sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. In a separate bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat yolks until they are thick. At low speed, beat in 1/4 cup maple or coconut sugar and 1 1/2 TBS cacao or cocoa powder. Fold yolk mixture into whites and spread batter over parchment paper in loaf pan.
5. Microwave for 60 seconds, then check. If still very wet on top, microwave in 20 second increments. Take cake out when still slightly damp on top. It will firm up when it cools.
6. Sprinkle dish towel with additional cacao or cocoa powder. Invert the cake onto the part of the towel covered with the cacao powder, then peel off parchment paper.
7. From the narrow end, roll the cake in the towel. Place on a rack to cool.
8. For vanilla filling, beat 1/2 cup hardened coconut cream, 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract in a small bowl with mixer at medium speed until mixture is fluffy
9. For chocolate frosting, melt chocolate chunks with 2 TBS coconut oil and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in microwave in 20 second increments. Stir between increments.Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
10. To assemble Bûche, unroll cake and remove towel. Spread top with vanilla filling and roll up again, from narrow end. Place cake seam-side down on small plate and spread with chocolate frosting. Garnish with mint sprig and serve.

I ate gumbo all over New Orleans, and I think that this Paleo version compares with the best of them. A word about okra, which is an essential component of this dish. Eaten by itself, this vegetable is an acquired taste. I didn't grow up in the South, so I had never seen it before my mother placed this slimy, hairy disgusting vegetable on my plate when I was about 8 or 9. I don't know what she was thinking: it was completely gross. We had the one-bite rule in our house, which meant that even if you didn't like something, you had to at least taste it. So, with tears running down my cheeks, I put a bite of okra in my mouth and promptly vomited (yes, at the table). That was the first and last time my mother ever served it. But years later, I ate pickled okra (delicious). And curried okra in Indian restaurants is fabulous, as is this gumbo. So, I am an okra convert.

Ingredients
1 lb. raw shrimp in shell
5 cups water
8 oz. bottled clam juice
2 onions, one quartered and one chopped
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup bacon grease (or coconut oil)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb Paleo-friendly spicy sausage, sliced (I used Island Acres Farm Lemon-Pepper Chicken Sausages from my local food co-op, which are fully-cooked, but you can also use uncooked. Just make sure that sausages are free of bread crumbs and other non-Paleo ingredients)
1 10 oz. package frozen, sliced okra, or a pound of fresh okra, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sea salt
A few grindings of black pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
A few drops Paleo-friendly hot pepper sauce, like Frank's
Chopped parsley for garnish
Cauliflower rice for serving ( 1/2 cauliflower head, broken into flowerets and processed in food processor until it resembles grains of rice. Sauté in a little coconut oil until "rice" is cooked through).

​1. Shell and devein the shrimp. Put the shelled shrimp in the refrigerator.
2. To make the broth, put the shells in a pot with the water, the clam broth, the quartered onion and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Strain,  reserve the broth, and discard the shells, onion and bay leaf.
3. To make the roux, melt the bacon grease (or the coconut oil) in a heavy skillet and stir in the coconut and almond flours. Stir constantly over low/medium heat until the roux is smooth and the color of peanut butter. (The nice thing about a Paleo roux is that it takes a lot less time than one made with wheat flour, which could take 30 minutes or more). Turn off the heat and keep stirring for a few minutes more.
4. In a heavy soup pot, melt the ghee and sauté the chopped onion, celery and green pepper (the "Holy Trinity" of Cajun cooking) until they are soft, but not brown.
5. Add the sausage and  the okra. Cook until the okra stops giving off white "threads."
6. Add remaining bay leaves, salt, black pepper, cayenne and a few drops hot pepper sauce. Add stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil, partly cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
7. Whisk the roux into the mixture and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for another 40 minutes. Stir from time to time.
8. While gumbo is cooking, make the cauliflower "rice" (see directions, above).
9. Add the shrimp to the gumbo and cook until shrimp turn pink, about 2-3 minutes.
10. Put cauliflower "rice" in bowls and top with gumbo. Garnish with chopped parsley. Provide hot sauce at the table for those who like their gumbo really spicy.
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Beignets are traditionally served with café au lait at the world-famous Café du Monde in New Orleans. They're actually fried dough with powdered sugar...so, not Paleo. In keeping with the New Orleans theme of this post, I tried this recipe for baked beignets from Paleo Fox and ...o.k., they weren't exactly Café du Monde, but they were yummy. They were more like...

"Kichel!" said my husband at first bite. And he was right. They tasted just like the old Manischewitz Egg Kichels, airy, eggy cookies which were the same as Stella d'Oro Egg Biscuits (only one company was Jewish and the other Italian). Drizzled with honey, they also reminded me a little bit of Mexican sopapillas. And, true confession here, I like the idea of beignets better than the real things (too greasy), so these Paleo quasi-beignets are just perfect for me! Add a cup of café au lait (half coffee, half warmed full-fat canned coconut milk) and you can almost hear the Zydeco!

French lesson for today: Zydeco is the music of French-speaking Creoles in southwest Louisiana. The word comes from the French "les haricots"--pronounce the "s" like a "z"--meaning "beans," more specifically from the phrase "Les haricots sont pas  salés (the beans aren't salty) a colloquial expression meaning "Times are hard."
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Ingredients
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 large eggs
Raw honey, for drizzling
Powdered maple sugar (2 TBS maple sugar, mixed with 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot).

Equipment: 12 silicon muffin cups, cookie sheet;  OR pastry bag and greased cookie sheet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine coconut oil, coconut milk, salt and vanilla in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and let boil vigorously for 5-6 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, pour into food processor and add the tapioca flour all at once. Process until thoroughly mixed and it starts to thicken.
3. Put mixture back in saucepan and heat over medium heat , stirring, until it thickens into a sticky dough.
4. Put dough back in food processor. Process for 2-3 minutes, then add eggs and process for 2-3 minutes longer until thoroughly mixed.
5. Put the silicon cups on a cookie sheet and fill the cups half full ( I have just discovered these and I think they are fabulous. You don't have to grease them and the beignets pop right out when they are baked) or, as in the original recipe, spoon dough into pastry bag and pipe into squares on a greased ( with a little coconut oil) cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
8. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with powdered maple sugar (and try not to eat 4 of them in a sitting, as I did!).
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