Grain Free, Sugar Free Muffins

I have been on a sugar free, grain free muffin kick for about two weeks.  I took some recipes I found in different places and changed them to be sweetened only by fruits and stevia.  All were delicious!  Above you see Date Pecan Muffins.  Below, Apple Cinnamon Walnut Muffins.  And last, Strawberry Banana Muffins!

Now that I've been cooking for a few years (I used to only eat pre-packaged food or take-out from restaurants), I feel much more confident about changing other people's recipes to suit my family's personal needs.  I'd share the recipes I used for the above, but I was creating them on the fly and not completely measuring everything.  All three are made from almond flour and eggs, use about 10-15 drops of vanilla stevia, and contain some amount of coconut milk and unsweetened applesauce.  I usually look for recipes from Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry, or Danielle Walker of Against All Grain, and then modify them.  Also, Kelly of The Spunky Coconut shares creative ideas, too.

I encourage you to do this, too.  Don't ever feel limited by a recipe you find.  Paleo recipes are especially open to change.  For instance, when you see palm oil as an ingredient, you can substitute with ghee and sometimes coconut oil for more nutrition and less damage to the rainforest.

Happy Baking!

Nutrient Density and Superfoods

We know that we are supposed to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.  However, not all fruits and veggies are created equally.  That is, they don't have the same quality of health-promoting nutrients.  Here are some of the ones that we make sure to get into our diet so that we are getting plenty of colors (these different vibrations are important and beneficial to the body), antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

• Superfruits:  Gogi berries, mulberries, golden berries, blueberries - Berries are the key!  They are lower in sugar, come in a multitude of colors, and are so healthful.
• Green Veggies:  From leafy greens to broccoli, green is vital to life.  You can blend or juice green veggies, break them up and add them to soups, or use them a little wraps for sandwiches.  My son adores eating broccoli with ghee and a little sea salt.  Make green a daily habit for everyone in your family.  Be creative to find ways to get it all into everyone's bodies.
• Yellow and Orange Veggies:  Squash and sweet potatoes are a good source of carbs and beta carotene.  They are especially wonderful to enjoy as carbs in diets that exclude grains.
• Nuts and Seeds:  Soaked and dehydrated pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and almonds provide nutrition, good fats, and proteins.  It is nice to enjoy them with some superfood berries!

If you fill up on corn, peas, and white potatoes as your veggies, there is no room left for the ones that are more nutritious and less sugar-dense.  Likewise, grapes, watermelon, and bananas are so fun to eat, but their sugar content is very high.  Peanuts are not even actually nuts, and don't contain the nutrient density of other nuts, in addition to being a common allergen.  If you can get your nutrients from other sources, like superfruits and berries then you are doing your body a great service.  Try to make these sugary fruits and veggies a sometimes food, while eating the superfoods everyday.

Go For Nutrition When You Eat

Make everything you eat have a purpose toward nourishing your body.  Nutrient dense foods can be really delicious.  Adding a little coconut oil or ghee with some sea salt to your veggies can bring in beneficial fats and minerals, while making them taste great!  Our bodies aren't designed to utilize empty calories for the purpose of being able to thrive.  If you want a snack, think about what nutrition your body is needing in the moment and then put that food into it.  Not a grain cracker or cereal fortified with vitamins, but pure vitamins right from the natural source.  If you need protein, don't opt for some kind of overly processed protein powder drink or bar, eat some pure protein from an organic source.  And yes, despite what marketing will tell you, your body can tell the difference.

Simple Sweet Potato Fries

I find that eating the simplest foods that are the most packed with nutrition possible is the best.  Loading up with too many ingredients just makes more for sensitive bodies to work to digest.  Here is a two ingredient, super-delicious, kid-friendly recipe!  My son loves these - he won't eat sweet potatoes in any other form!  I have also served these to other kids and to my husband, and everyone loves them!

Ingredients:
To make these delicious sweet potato fries, all you need is:
Organic sweet potatoes
Sea Salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Cut up the sweet potatoes in the shapes and sizes you like.  Try to make them a somewhat uniform thickness so that they will bake evenly at the same time.
• Place onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and then flip them over.  Keep an eye on them from this point on.  My son likes them kind of crunchy, but you can also cook them for less time and they will soft and also super yummy.  You don't want to take the out before they are soft, though, or they will not be thoroughly cooked through.
• When they have reached your desired texture and doneness, sprinkle with sea salt, allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

Chia Breakfast "Cereal"

This is a simple, nutritious, delicious and easy alternative to cereals and oatmeal for breakfast.

Ingredients:
About 1/4 cup chia seeds
Almond milk to fill up your bowl (about a cup) - The more "milky" you want it to be, the more almond milk you use.  Otherwise it is more of a pudding type consistency, which is also delicious.  The more milky, liquid style is more similar to eating cereal.
maple syrup to taste
optional:  add bananas, blueberries and/or strawberries

Directions:
Put chia seeds in a small bowl
Add almond milk and stir
Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for the chia seeds to get soft and to gel
Stir again and break up clumps
Sit for a few more minutes (you can place in the refrigerator if you would like)
Add maple syrup to taste and enjoy as you would a bowl of cereal or oatmeal.

Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

YUM and easy!  Only three ingredients!  It is so creamy and delicious!

Ingredients:

Frozen organic strawberries - around 10, but use amounts to your liking

coconut sugar - you can make it as sweet as you like

1 organic avocado

Directions:

Blend all together in a food processor until smooth

Enjoy your creamy treat!

Gluten Free Healthy Oatmeal

I don't post a lot of recipes with grains anymore, since my son and I no longer eat them.  However, my husband loves this oatmeal!  It is so easy to make and has no refined sugars.  I make him a small portion, but with the added fruits and nuts it fills him up just fine.  You can make larger portions easily.  I only buy gluten free, organic oats.  See the link below.  Also, be very careful which kind of stevia you purchase.  Some are loaded with chemical additives.  I use sweetleaf stevia.  This is also great with added fresh blueberries or other berries.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup gluten free, organic oats
1/2 cup pure water
1 ripe banana
ground cinammon
1 stevia packet
handful of walnuts

Directions:
In a small pot, bring the water to a boil.
Add the oats and stir until water is absorbed.  (It only takes a few minutes, so keep an eye on it.)
Smash the ripe banana in a bowl using a fork.
Add some shakes of cinnamon and the stevia packet.
Mix together with a spoon and then add the oats and mix again.
Break some walnuts into the bowl and then mix together again.
Add berries if you like.
Enjoy your oatmeal!

OMG Grain and Dairy Free Carrot Cake

There is a good reason for the name of this cake:  It is that incredibly delicious.  I literally uttered "Oh my god," while I was eating it.  I made this for myself as a special treat for making it through a challenging week.  It is inspired by a recipe from Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry blog.  I tweaked it in several ways, including this dairy free cashew frosting.  I also only made one layer instead of two.  Remember that when you find a recipe you want to make, but have certain dietary conditions, just change it to meet your needs.  I do this all the time, and I will admit that I was really hesitant to try it at first.  Sometimes the results are not so good, but sometimes they are amazingly fantastic like this cake today!  So, be brave.  You never know how good it can be until you try it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of almond flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tblspn ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 organic eggs
1/2 tsp of ground chia seeds
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Grease a cake pan (or a pie pan) with some coconut oil (or other oil) and dust with almond flour.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, sea salt, baking soda, and spices.
In a medium bowl, mix together the safflower oil, maple syrup, eggs and ground chia seeds.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry.
Add in the carrots, raisins and walnuts. (I actually ground the walnuts with a nut/coffee grinder.  It was like adding another flour.  And I left a few chunks, which are so delicious in the cake.)
Put the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 35 minutes until a fork or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let the cake cool off.

Cashew Frosting:

I love to experiment with different non-dairy versions of typically dairy foods to make with cashews.  You can adjust this frosting to your own sweetness level.  I made this one "too sweet" for my husband, so I got to eat the whole thing by myself!  :)
Blend together in a high speed blender on very high the following ingredients:
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 - 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk

You really want to blend on high so that it is smooth and also less liquidy and runny.

Pour over the cake and spread evenly.  Cool in the fridge for a bit to set the icing.  I know it is hard to wait, but it is worth it for the total yum experience.

I hope you enjoy!!   This is by far one of the best things I have ever eaten.  :)