Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins

Love Bananas!! Since my daughter is trying to stay away from gluten I decided to do some substitutions to this recipe I found online. This recipe originally had whole wheat flour, and I used a combination of millet and quinoa flour instead. As well, I used Himalayan salt rather then regular salt, and used Maple Syrup rather then sucanat. The muffin is a little more moist using the Maple Syrup and the choice of flours made the texture a little different. Nonetheless, they were a big hit at my house, and no one complained. Awesome with a little butter!

I used mostly organic ingredients, and if really sensitive/intolerant to gluten, please ensure the ingredients are labelled Gluten Free.

This recipe yields only 6 muffins. 

Ingredients

1/4 cup Coconut Oil (best to warm it a little- but not completed melted)
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 Egg
1 cup mashed Bananas
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Quinoa Flour
1/2 cup Millet Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Himalayan Salt
1/8 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl combine the Coconut Oil and Maple Syrup with a mixer. Mix in the Egg, mashed Banana, and Vanilla.

In a smaller bowl, add the Quinoa and Millet Flour together. Combine well.

Add in the Baking Powder, Himalayan Salt, Baking Soda, and cinnamon to the flour mixture and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl containing the wet ingredients. Stir until moistened. Fold in the Walnuts.

Grease 6 Muffin Tins. (I used Organic Butter to grease mine).

Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes. Let cool before removing. 

Slowcooker Maple Pineapple Pork

This is as quick and easy as it gets! 4 ingredients...that's it! Busy morning, not enough time? I literally threw this together in 2 minutes.
I had a beautiful Organic pasture raised pork roast that I purchased from Nature's Way Farms, just outside Peace River, and made this sauce to pour over it, and threw it in the slow cooker while I went to work. The pork just fell apart and the sauce was amazing.
A great idea would be to also, thicken the sauce and pour over the pork.

Ingredients

1 can pineapple (chunks)
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients together and pour over pork. Cook on low for 8 hours in slow cooker.

So easy! So delicious!

Coconut Chia Blueberry Muffins

I was craving blueberries the other night, and I wanted to make something we could have for breakfast the next day, and so I thought muffins would be perfect!!! I love blueberries, and so this was my obvious choice of berry to use in this muffin. I choose gluten free flours since my daughter doesn't eat gluten as she could enjoy them as well. I literally threw things together and came up with this. I added a bit of this and a bit of that, and voila! Blueberry muffins! Wasn't sure how they would turn out, or if my daughter and husband would even like them..That was the true test. But they both loved them, and well...so did I.. :-) Let's just say they didn't last long...
As well, I use mainly organic ingredients.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Millet flour
1/2 cup Brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup Oats
1 Tbsp Baking powder
Pinch Himalayan salt
2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
2 Tbsp Ground Flax
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 Cup of Coconut Milk
1 Egg
1 Large Banana Mashed
1/4 cup coconut
1 cup Blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 Degrees.

Mix the Millet Flour and Brown Rice Flour in a big bowl. Make sure to mix the flours good before adding anything else.

Add Oats, Baking powder, Salt, Chia Seeds, and Ground flax.

In a separate bowl, mash the banana well. 

In another bowl, blend on low for only a minute the Maple Syrup, Milk, Egg, and the Mashed Banana. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Fold in the coconut and the blueberries. 

Bake for 25 minutes at 425 Degrees. 

There are so many more things you could add to this recipe. You could add another berry, substitute the blueberries with another berry. Add cinnamon, walnuts, slivered almonds, etc... Don't be scared to experiment, and add different things. If you don't like one item in a recipe don't just give up and not make it, omit it or change it up. You'd be surprised what you can come up with. 

These were so great warm, with butter and a warm cup of tea...I may need to make more.. :-)

ENJOY!

Apple Crisp

I have made crisps and crumbles in the past and I use the same basic ingredients. This time, I actually wrote down the ingredients and so here is what I use.....The crumble part can be used with any kind of crisp. It is great for blueberry or strawberry rhubard....Best served warm......And my 9 yr old daughter loved it!!!

As always, I use mainly organic ingredients. :-)

Ingredients

8 Gala apples peeled and chopped
6 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Crumble:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cups oats
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup Quinoa Flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup softened butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine Apples, Maple Syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.

Once combined place in 8" x 8" baking dish.

In a Food processor, add Walnuts and Oatmeal, and pulse until it becomes a crumb like texture.
If you would like, you can just process the walnuts in the food processor and keep the oats whole. It really is your own preference. Either way it will work our great! :-)

To the crumb mixture, add coconut sugar, Quinoa flour and cinnamon. Mix well.

Add the softened butter. At this point, I used my hands to combine in order to get that crumble. You don't want to over mix here.
Add the crumble over the apple mixture in your baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 Degrees.

There are so many different ways to make a crisp/crumble. You could even add quinoa to the crumble as well. You can use spelt flour instead of quinoa....Go ahead and try for yourself. Don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen! Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie

So I asked my husband to name a few unhealthy treats that he loves, and I would clean them up. Well, at the top of this list was Coconut Cream Pie. Well, the challenge was on! Most recipes call for sugar in the filling, or refined flours in the crust. Also, most of the toppings called for icing sugar.....Okay....I have to admit, this one was a challenge, as I had to come up with three recipes.....the crust, the filing, and the topping. But I did it! :-)

As always aim to use organic ingredients here.

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup of butter softened (can also use 3/4 cup of hardened coconut Oil)
1 cup Quinoa Flour
1 1/2 cup Oat Flour
1 tsp Himalayan Salt
5-6 Tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

Add both the Quinoa Flour and Oat Flour together. I didn't have any Oat Flour, and couldn't find any at the store, so I made my own. Just put some oats in a food processor and blend, and voila! Oat flour! 

Add salt, and butter, and blend together. I used my hands to blend at this point. As you blend, add water until you get proper texture. 

Roll dough out making sure flour underneath while you roll as to not stick to the table. If it does stick to the table, you can easily press it into the dish and it will easily stick together in the dish. 

If using a non stick or glass pie dish, make sure to butter the dish before placing dough into it. 

Press into 9 inch pie dish. 

Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 min. 

Filing Ingredients:

3 cups of Coconut Milk

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pink Himalayan Salt

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tbsp Butter

1/2 cup water + 2 Tbsp Cornstarch

For the Coconut Milk I used the Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk. It is full fat and full of flavor. Also, at this point place 2 cans of the coconut milk in the fridge as the cream and liquid parts will divide and the cream is what you will use for the topping. 

Add egg yolks, honey, vanilla, salt, and coconut to the pot as well. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. 

Also, It is important to use organic cornstarch here as well. Most corn is genetically modified so anytime you use those products derived from corn, or corn itself, choose organic. 

Once boiling, add the water and cornstarch together, and mix into the boiling liquid to thicken. Once thickened, remove from heat, and add butter. 

Let stand for 5 minutes, and pour into already made Pie Crust. 

Let pie cool overnight, and then add the topping. 

Topping Ingredients:

Cream from 2 cans of Coconut Milk

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup coconut - roasted

Once the cans of Coconut Milk has cooled in the fridge, it will be easier to remove the cream part and discard the liquid. Best to use a chilled bowl as well for the topping. Add Maple Syrup and Vanilla to the cream. Beat on high until mixed well, and peaks form. Add to top of pie. 

Take the coconut and place in shallow baking dish and broil on low until coconut is brown. Use this to sprinkle over top. 

Enjoy!

Berry Chia Smoothie

This is a smoothie I've been making for a long time, and it is my favorite. Sometimes, I will add Kale to it. Ground flax seed is wonderful in here as well. Smoothies are a great way to get a lot of fruits, and veggies at one time. So it is packed with a lot of nutrients! I add chia seeds to a lot of what I make, even if the recipe doesn't call for it. I encourage everyone to experiment with them. They are such an amazing source of Omega 3, calcium, etc. That right, you do not need milk to get calcium. And as always, please use organic where you can! :-)

Ingredients 

1/2 Small Banana
1 cup frozen sliced strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup of coconut milk
2 Tbsp chia seeds

Blend all together, and enjoy! 
  

Veggie Medley

I just love the sweetness to this recipe. The possibilities are endless here. You can add any veggie you want to this. Beans would go great with the corn. Maybe a little honey or Maple Syrup. I found a recipe similar to this one from a Clean Eating book I bought. And so.....I created my own twist to this one, and changed it into something I like. Sometimes I fry with Coconut Oil, but I do prefer Avocado Oil here. Avocado, Olive and Coconut Oils are my top 3 oils of choice. Also, diced garlic would be fantastic. This is the basic recipe concept, but go ahead and feel free to try new things in here. A lot of people cannot handle the corn on their digestive system, so just add a different vegetable. Easy!. As always, the ingredients are organic, especially the corn. You can mix these veggies with rice, or just as a a side dish as pictured here. Whatever your preference, this is certainly a great way to get a variety of veggies in one dish! 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp of Avocado Oil

1 Small Onion Diced

1 Medium Red Bell Pepper Diced (can use orange or yellow as well)

3/4 cup Frozen Green Peas

1/2 cup Organic Corn (can use frozen organic corn as well)

Heat Oil on Medium heat and Saute the Onion and Pepper together until Onions soften and appear transparent. 

Add Frozen Peas and frozen corn. If using fresh or canned organic corn, wait for the frozen peas to cook a little first. 

Stir until cooked. 

Easy Peasy! LOL

Black Bean & Corn Kale Salad with Garlic Avocado Dressing

I found a recipe for Avocado Dressing from Tosca Reno online, and it sounded amazing. I love guacamole, and I also love garlic in guacamole, and thought, this recipe sounds great, but I need to change it to make it how I like it. So, I added garlic! I created a salad that would be perfect for it as well with black beans and corn!!! Again, I use as many organic ingredients as I can find. I was surprised because in our little town in Northern Alberta, I found organic corn. It was in a can, but it was organic. 

Garlic Avocado Dressing

Ingredients:

2 Avocados, peeled and pitted

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

2 Tbsp fresh basil

3 cloves garlic diced

1 cup water

Dash of Himalayan Salt                              

Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This will be very creamy, so just add water if it is too creamy. 

Black Bean and Corn Kale Salad

Chopped Kale

Chopped Romaine Lettuce

Green Onions

Black Beans

Corn

Before combining, make sure to massage the dressing into the Kale. I always massage the Kale before combining it with the other ingredients, as it really changed the texture of the Kale, and it tastes sweeter. Just take the dressing and rub it into the Kale with your fingers. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then combine it with the rest of the ingredients. Add as much of each ingredient as you like. I was thinking a few Organic Tortillas chips crushed into this salad would taste good as well. But go ahead, experiment for yourself!

Strawberry Jam

I found a wonderful recipe on pinterest for a Chia Blueberry Jam. I absolutely love blueberries, but my family loved strawberry jam better. So I experimented with this, and tried only strawberries, and it didn't taste the way I wanted it to. I had an idea to add and apple to it. I had only green apples at the time, and thought why not use this. So, I added a small amount of green apple, and voila! It was perfect! A red apple just doesn't cut it, but a green apple makes it fantastic!!! I've been experimenting with other types of jams as well, and I will post those on here in time. For now, I hope you enjoy my strawberry jam. And as always I use organic ingredients, and use chia seeds instead on any gelatin or pectin. It's faster, and easier and much more healthier. Love chia seeds!!!

Ingredients

1 cup chopped organic green apple

2 cups frozen or fresh organic strawberries

4 Tbsp Maple Syrup

2 Tbsp Chia Seeds

Combine the apple, strawberries, and maple syrup in a pot, and heat until strawberries and apple are soft.

If you like you jam chunky you can just mash it. I like mine very smooth and easy to spread, so once soft I put it in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. 

Place it back into the pot, and add chia seeds. Simmer for 15 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved. Remember, this will thicken more when cooled as well. 

Remove from heat and place in glass jar. 

Let it cool overnight in the fridge. 

This jam is great as a spread, but great to add to yogurt for flavoring as well. 

Coconut Sugar No Bake Cookies

My sister in law came across this recipe online, and it was such an easy fix to make healthier. Although there is still a lot of sugar in it, it is by far a better quality sugar. I switched the original ingredients with organic as I use mostly organic ingredients, and I highly recommend everyone to do the same. I took out the white refined sugar and substituted with coconut sugar, and I removed the milk, and substituted with coconut milk. Some people call these Haystacks, or No Bake Cookies. I've heard other people call them frogs. Whatever you decide to call them, they are still delicious. You can make them as small or as big as you like, and can put them in any shape you like. My husband loved them, and my daughter as well! 

Coconut Sugar No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups Organic Coconut Sugar

2/3 cup of unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 pinch Himalayan salt

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 cups quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Add the sugar, milk, butter and salt together and boil over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk in vanilla

3. Stir in oats, coconut, cocoa and walnuts

4. Drop by 1 tbsp onto parchent paper lining a baking sheet. I rolled mine into balls, and then flatten them with the bottom of a glass. But you can put these in whatever shape you want. 

5. Allow to cool in the fridge until they harden. 

Enjoy!