Grain Free, Nut Free, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Laura | Permalink 0
Grain Free, Nut Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Grain Free, Nut Free, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oops!  I ended up with 2 small overly ripe bananas, but I couldn’t bear to throw them out.  While I could have popped them in the freezer to use at a later date I decided I would make a batch of banana muffins.  If you have a sweet tooth you can add a tablespoon or two of raw honey, coconut nectar or a bit of stevia, but these were sweet enough for my family.  I did sprinkle a bit of organic coconut sugar on top of each muffin and the D-Man gave them 2 thumbs up.

NOTE:  This recipe can be cut in half if you only have a need for 6 muffins, or you can freeze the muffins for later use.

Ingredients:

6 Pastured Eggs
4 Tablespoons Pastured Butter or Coconut Oil (melted)
1 Overly Ripe Large Banana or 2 small bananas
(Optional) 1 to 2 Tablespoons Raw Honey or Coconut Nectar
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon Organic Ground Ginger
½ Cup Coconut Flour (sifted)
¼ to ½ Cup Chocolate Chips
¼ Cup Organic Coconut Sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or use unbleached paper liners.
In a medium bowl blend eggs, butter/coconut oil, sea salt, optional honey/stevia or coconut nectar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
In a small bowl combine the coconut flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms and there are no visible lumps.
Using a spoon gently mix in the chocolate chips and fill your muffin tin.
Optional Step:  Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a little coconut sugar.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Makes 12 regular sized muffins, or 24 mini muffins.

Breads, Crackers and Muffins, Breakfast, Recipes

Paleo Hazelnut Breakfast Cereal

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Laura | Permalink 0
Paleo Hazelnut Cereal

Paleo Hazelnut Cereal

Tired of eggs for breakfast?  Here is a quick, healthy, and filling alternative that will give you the energy you need to start your day.

Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are packed with protein, fiber, and are rich in B complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).  A mere 100g of Hazelnuts will provide you with 100% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant needed to maintain the integrity of our cell and mucus membranes.  Hazelnuts are also loaded with minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.  Don’t forget that copper and manganese are essential co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a potent anti-inflammatory.

One note of caution, nuts do contain phytic acid which binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract.   Bound minerals cannot be absorbed in the intestine, and too many bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies.  To make the vitamins and minerals bio-available the raw nuts should be properly prepared, what many people refer to as “crispy nuts”.  To prepare crispy nuts; rinse the nuts well,  soak the nuts in filtered water with sea salt for 6 hours (I use approximately 1 Tablespoon sea salt per pound of nuts), rinse again with water, then place the nuts in your dehydrator until dry (approximately 12 hours).   If you don’t own a dehydrator you can dry the nuts in your oven using the lowest temperature possible.   This soaking technique may not remove all the phytic acid, however, we find that it makes the nuts we snack on, and the nut flours I use for cooking more digestible.

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups of Hazelnut Flour
(I buy my hazelnuts here:  http://shop.theorganicalternative.com/Nuts-Dried-Fruit_c2.htm)
¾ Cup of Coconut Milk (more or less for your desired consistency)
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Nectar (you can also use Raw Honey, Maple Syrup or Stevia)
2 Tablespoons of Pastured Butter (optional)
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Organic Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Organic Cinnamon
Dash of Organic Ground Nutmeg
Dash of Organic Ground Cloves

Directions: 

NOTE:  I use my Cuisinart to grind my prepared nuts into a nut flour.  This only takes a few moments and any unused flour can be stored in the freezer to prevent it from going rancid.

In a medium sauce pan add the hazelnut flour and begin cooking, stirring gently over low heat (about one minute).
Add the coconut nectar, and butter (if using) stirring to incorporate.
Increase the heat to medium and add the coconut milk stirring quickly to avoid scorching.
Add the spices and continue stirring until the cereal is heated through
Serve and enjoy!

 

Breakfast, Recipes

Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Laura | Permalink 0
Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

Last weekend we were wearing sweat shirts, and the high temperatures were in the 40’s.   This week temperatures soared to 90 degrees on the mountain…Summer had arrived!  The D-Man suggested we make a batch of ice cream to cool us down, so I pulled out our handy dandy Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and whipped up a batch of Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream.

This recipe is very flexible, and if you don’t have an ice cream maker, I’ve included instructions to make this in your freezer.   You can also make a half recipe for smaller crowds, because we all know ice cream is best when it’s fresh.  Feel free to substitute your favorite organic fruits that are in season, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, etc.  If you like a little more texture, add extra fruit, chopped crispy nuts or the D-Man’s favorite….Chocolate (chips or chunks).

Ingredients:

28 Ounces of Organic Full Fat Coconut Milk (2 Cans)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Pastured Eggs
3 Tablespoons Coconut Nectar or Raw Honey
2 to 2 ½ Cups Organic Strawberries (stems removed)
3 teaspoons of freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (from an Organic Lemon)
Dash of Sea Salt

Directions:

In a medium saucepan heat the coconut milk on medium low heat (do not boil).
Add the vanilla extract, coconut nectar (or honey), lemon juice, and sea salt, whisking to incorporate.
Remove the mixture from heat.
In a small bowl beat the eggs then add them to the coconut milk mixture whisking constantly until the eggs are fully incorporated (about 2 minutes).
Wash the strawberries and remove the stems then puree in a blender or food processor.
Add the pureed strawberries to the coconut milk and stir to incorporate.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
When the mixture is cool (I put mine in the refrigerator to chill), add it to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in a glass bowl or 9×12 Pyrex pan and place it in your freezer.  Stir the ice cream mixture every 10-15 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency.

This ice cream can be made Vegan by eliminating the eggs and using Coconut Nectar or your favorite Vegan sweetener.

NOTE:  This ice cream is not overtly sweet, so add more Coconut Nectar, Honey, or a little Stevia to sweeten to your families taste.

Recipes, Sweets and Treats