Cinnamon Crumb Banana Muffins (Gluten-free)

from Michelle Gill - www.rebornjoy.com

Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 bananas
2 Tbsp. raw honey
2 eggs, beaten
5 Tbsp. butter, melted

Crumbs:
3 Tbsp. almond flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup of walnut pieces

Instructions:
Preheat the oven at 350 degree.
Mix dry then add wet ingredients.
Spoon into a dozen muffin pan (spray or use muffin cups).
Add crumb mix on top of each.
Bake for 18 minutes or until tops turn golden brown.

Makes 12 muffins.

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

from Daniel Plan (download all recipes free)

The Daniel Plan Cookbook includes more than 100 delicious, healthy recipes from breakfast to dessert. Go to www.danielplan.com to order.
Ingredients:
½ cup water
⅓ cup low-sodium soy or tamari sauce
2 Tbsp. raw honey
¼ cup fresh orange juice (or pineapple)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, cut into long thin strips
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 pound flank steak, cut against the grain into thin strips
2 tsp. coconut oil
4 cups broccoli florets
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
2 cups brown rice

Preparation:
In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of this mixture into a plastic bag; add beef. Seal bag, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Remove steak from bag, and discard marinade. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in oil for 2−3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

Add broccoli and onion to pan; stir-fry for 4 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Return beef to the pan. Whisk cornstarch and reserved marinade until smooth; stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve over brown rice if desired.

* Tip from Michelle:  One of my best purchases was a rice cooker.  I add a little more water to brown rice so it will be as fluffy as white rice.  This way my daughter, who is seven, will eat brown rice instead of white and enjoy it.  A rice cooker also saves me time.  I bought mine at Big Lots for less than $15.

On Guard Pumpkin Seeds from doTERRA International

Horrifyingly Healthy Raw Pumpkin Patch

(from Reboot with Joe - site encourages sharing of recipes)

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/smart-sweet-healthy-pumpkin-patch/

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups/360 g. cashews

1/2 cup/110 g. goji berries
1/4 cup/75 g. rolled oats
2 Tbsp./30 ml. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp./30 ml. coconut oil
Pinch of Himalayan salt
1 large carrot
1 celery stalk
2 parsley stems with leaves

Directions:
1.) Combine cashews, goji berries and rolled oats in food processor and process on high until a fine crumble forms.

2.) Add cashew, goji, oat mixture into large bowl and then add maple syrup, coconut oil and salt.

3.) Mix all ingredients together well until a dough forms.

4.) For half of the mixture, roll small spoonfuls into little balls, then shape them into pumpkins (that resemble candy pumpkins) by adding in little crevices with a sharp knife.

5.) Then cut celery into skinny stems, about 1/4 cm. wide and 1 in. tall. Place the celery into the top of the pumpkin with a small leaf off of the parsley stem. TIP: This was easiest when I kept a little stem on the leaf. Then I placed the stem on the middle of the pumpkin and used the celery to stick it in.

6.) For the other half of the mixture, make these into the "carved" pumpkins. First, roll a small spoonful of dough into a ball, similar to the above, then flatten the sides and bottoms of the balls and shape into pumpkins, as you see in the picture.

7.) For the face, slice a thin disc-shape from a large carrot, then use a sharp knife to carve a mini pumpkin face. These do not have to be perfect. As you can see from my picture below, they definitely look homemade but that gives them character!

8.) Stick the carrot face onto one of the flat sides of the pumpkin then add a skinny celery stalk to the top.

9.) Place all pumpkins in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes before serving.

Flavorful Coconut Spinach Rice

Serves 6

 

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 cups white basmati rice

1 2/3 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cups water, bone broth, or vegetable stock

10-ounce package frozen spinach (Squeeze water out)

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice 

14-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained 

1/2 cup toasted coconut, lightly browned

 

1. Toast cumin and mustard seeds in a medium pot for 1 minute over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. 
2. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, rice, coconut milk, and water.  Bring to a boil.

3. Cover, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. Allow to set for 5 minutes.

4. Add the spinach, lemon juice, and garbanzo beans, if desired, and gently toss well.
5. Top with toasted coconut before serving.
6. Add parsley and/or a tomato wedge for extra color.

Problem Solved! A New Way to Cook Fresh Eggs So They Peel Perfectly!

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - August, 2014

For years I have tried various tips for hard cooking  fresh eggs to make deviled eggs so they wouldn't look like they had gone through a battle, with much of the egg white peeling away along with the shell.  As a result of numerous failed attempts, many of my hoped-for deviled eggs left me with no choice but to turn them into egg salad!   

None of these previously tried solutions really produced good results.  I have added baking soda to the water, pricked the eggs with a pin at the wider end, and plunged them into ice water before peeling.  Well, just today I tried a new way (new to me), and it worked like a charm!

The Real Solution: 
If you have a steamer, you're all set! 

1. Run water into the bottom of a cooking pot - one that a steamer fits well.
2. Place the eggs in a steamer, so that the eggs are not submerged in the water, but use enough water so it won't all boil away.
3. Bring the water to a boil and simmer in the steamer for 20 minutes.  Set a timer. 
4. Remove the colander (or steamer basket) from the pot after 20 minutes, and plunge the eggs in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Thankfully I found my farm fresh eggs peeled to a super smooth finish using this method!

Sweet Potato Brownies (Gluten Free)

http://draxe.com/recipe/sweet-potato-brownies/

Do a search for other healthy recipes at http://draxe.com/

1 avocado
1 cup cooked sweet potato puree
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 tbsp. arrowroot flour

½  cacao powder (This is not cocoa powder)

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

 Icing

• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• ½ cup coconut milk
• sea salt

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Grease 8×8 pan with coconut oil and line it with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, combine avocado, sweet potato, applesauce, honey and vanilla. Once creamy, add in cacao powder.
4. Add in eggs one at a time.
5. In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, arrowroot flour, salt and baking soda.
6. Combine both mixtures until smooth.
7. Transfer to greased pan and bake for 25 minutes.
   Make icing and frost if desired.

Refreshing Cherry Lemonade

Refreshing with an added dimension - cherries!

1 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (or follow directions and skip squeezing the lemons)

2 quarts pure cold water

1/2 pound fresh cherries, pitted and pureed (any kind)
Stevia to taste (safe and natural sweetener)

If you have a Vitamix or powerful blender, simply peel the lemons, removing the rind and seeds. The pulp is full of vitamin C and will thicken the juice a bit.  Pit the cherries (any kind), and puree the lemons and cherries until smooth.  Add pure cold water and ice.  Add enough stevia to make it sweet.  Pour into glasses, add ice, and serve!

Caesar Salad Dressing

Yield: 1 cup

1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 anchovy fillets
1 raw organic, pastured egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Allow the garlic and lemon juice to set for 10 minutes to take the "bite" out of the garlic.  Pour garlic mixture into a blender, and add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. 

Note concerning the egg yolk, anchovies, and oil:  
Caesar salad dressing is traditionally made with raw eggs, but it is suggested you purchase organic, pastured eggs and wash the shell before cracking.  Salmonella is the result of sick chickens so be sure the eggs you use are good quality.  Using pasteurized eggs is another option if you're not comfortable using a raw yolk.  

The addition of anchovies will not cause the dressing to taste fishy. 

I find that using "light" olive oil tastes less strong for a dressing.

Leek and Potato Soup

Note from Lois:  I made this delicious recipe after the April 1 trick I played on my husband.  I told him there was a LEEK in the bathroom sink, but what he really heard was, "There's a LEAK in the bathroom sink!"   

By the way, in case you didn't realize it, you can find bacon in the grocery store without any nitrates now.

Recipe by Michelle Tankersley Haines - Used by permission

http://crunchyinthesuburbs.com/2013/11/08/leek-potato-soup/
1 lb. bacon, thinly sliced
3 leeks
3 lbs. potatoes, diced
1 quart chicken stock (homemade is best)
1 1/2 cups Half & Half (preferably organic)
salt & pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
green onion

In a large soup pot, fry your bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels to blot off the grease. Set aside.

Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. of the bacon drippings. Add your leeks to the pot and increase heat up to medium high. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Stir and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leeks are tender.

Add your diced potatoes to the pot, along with the chicken stock. You should have just enough stock to barely cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes start to fall apart. Stir occasionally. You want the potatoes to start to break apart and thicken the stock.

Stir in your half and half. You may need a little more or a little less to your taste. Don’t add so much that the soup becomes runny, you want it to be rich and thick. Stir the bacon in, taste the soup and adjust the seasonings.

Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped green onion.

*You can also use the bacon as a garnish, but I’ve discovered that when I serve it this way Hubby Dear takes all the bacon, so I stir it in so we all get a fair shot at it :)

* Please don’t use milk in this recipe and then say the soup tastes watery. Milk is just not the same. You need the cream. I sometimes use the cream from my raw milk if it is available, but in a pinch will get some organic half & half. And don’t talk to me about fat. The cream makes it rich and satisfying so you eat less. And milk fat is good fat. Don’t get me started. I won’t stop talking about that.

Baked Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Sauce

by Danielle Walker - See a video of her beautifully illustrated cookbook here and check out her website!

 

http://againstallgrain.com/2011/12/06/grain-free-chicken-strips/

Serves: 4

*Update: If you can tolerate eggs, I suggest substituting the olive oil with 2 beaten eggs as this helps hold the coating on better. I’ve also found that if you place a wire rack over the cookie sheet and bake the chicken strips on the rack it helps get the coating even more crispy.

If there’s one thing that frustrates me the most, it’s having to make 2 different meals at dinner time. I try to feed my son what we are having for dinner that night, but sometimes the flavors are too mature for his pallet, so I like to keep some more kid friendly options in the freezer.

My son, like most kids, loves chicken nuggets. It’s pretty hard to stay away from some of the frozen foods they sell when you have a toddler who wants to eat on his own watch, but luckily there are a lot of organic (and even gluten-free!) versions out there right now. This time though, I wanted to make a grain-free, paleo, and SCD chicken finger that both he and I could enjoy. I served half for dinner, and froze the other half for those unpredictable nights where he immediately throws the food I serve onto the floor!

 

1 pound chicken tenders
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dried shredded coconut, unsweetened
½ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon coarse salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon ground mustard seed
¼ teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
4 teaspoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all of the spices and coconut flour in a shallow bowl.
3. Pour the olive oil into a separate shallow bowl, and the shredded coconut into a third bowl.
4. Dip each tender in the coconut flour first, then lightly shake off the excess. Next, dip in the bowl with the olive oil and shake off the excess oil. Lastly, dip the chicken in the coconut shreds and use your fingers to press press the coconut onto the strips.
5. Place the chicken strips on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the chicken over and bake another 10 minutes.
6. Turn the oven to broil, and continue baking for another 3-5 minutes until the chicken has evenly browned.
7. While the chicken is cooking, mix the mustard and the honey in a small bowl.
8. Serve the chicken strips hot with the honey mustard sauce or sauce of your choice!

Coconut Chicken Tenders

Thanks to Carol Miller in Pennsylvania for this recipe!
(Gluten free, sugar free)

4 servings

 

1 1/2 lbs. natural chicken breast (cut into strips)

1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut

 

1/2 cup coconut flour or gluten-free flour

1/2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 egg beaten

 

Dipping Sauce:

Dijon mustard and honey. Blend to taste

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Beat egg in a medium bowl. Mix coconut, coconut flour, and spices in a separate flat pan. Dip chicken strips one at a time in egg, then dredge in coconut mixture making sure there is a nice thick coating.

 

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Place chicken strips in the oil & fry till browned on both sides. Transfer strips to a (parchment paper lined cookie sheet for easy clean-up) and place in oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through (about 6 to 9 minutes, depending on the size of your strips).

 

Mix Dijon mustard and honey (2 parts mustard and 1 part honey, but do it to taste). Dip the strips in honey-mustard and enjoy. (Equally as good without dipping sauce).

Hot and Spicy Roasted Nuts (Crock Pot)

Put 2 cups raw almonds, cashews, or pecans in a medium slow cooker. 
Mix in 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes until the nuts are roasted.
Combine 1 Tbsp. olive oil with 2 tsp. sea salt, and stir into nuts.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.  Yields 2 cups.

Caramelized Sweet Onions (Crock Pot)

A time-saver!
For no tears, place 3 pounds of sweet onions in the fridge until they are cold (or outside on a cold day until they are cold).
To the slow cooker add 3 pounds of sliced onions, 1/2 cup butter and 1 tsp. sea salt.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours until soft and golden in color.
Use immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze to add wonderful flavor to future dishes.  Yields about 3 cups.
A double recipe would also work fine, although you might need to cook it a little longer.

Baked Potatoes (Crock Pot)

Saves using your large oven for baking potatoes, and if you aren't home during the day, you can get these started early!Scrub and pierce 6 to 8 baking potatoes several times with a fork.  Rub softened butter generously on potatoes and arrange in a circle around the bottom of a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 5 hours until soft.

Flavorful Chicken, Vegetables & Broth (Crock Pot)

Using a large slow cooker, place 5 pounds chicken thighs, 3 coarsely chopped onions, 3 coarsely chopped carrots, 3 coarsely chopped stalks of celery, 10 peppercorns, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. celery salt, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, and 10 cups pure water.  Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.  Cool for an hour and strain broth into a bowl.  A little sea salt may be needed to suit your taste.  Reserve cooked chicken and vegetables for dinner that evening.  Use leftover chicken for soup, a casserole, or chicken salad.  Refrigerate broth up to 3 days or freeze for making delicious soups. The apple cider vinegar helps release extra minerals from the chicken bones for added nutrition.

Freshly Baked Bread (Crock Pot)

I don't normally recommend buying frozen bread dough, but there are times when you may need the aroma of a loaf of yeast bread with little effort, especially for company.  Here's how you can do that, but start cooking it about 6 to 7 hours before you need to serve the bread.  Rub a one pound loaf of frozen bread dough generously with olive oil, and place in a greased loaf pan (for an oval slow cooker) or a greased round cake pan (for a round cooker).  Place pan in slow cooker, and cover.  Cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours until dough is thawed and beginning to rise.  Turn setting to HIGH.  Cover and cook an additional 2 to 3 hours, until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.  Let cool a bit before slicing.