It's been awhile...Banana Cashew Flour Muffins

I noticed my last post was in May! So many things have happened since then. We accepted new jobs, I moved up to teaching middle school, we bought our first house, and moved 1,001 miles away from home to live near my middle sister. It's been a whirlwind!

My mother in law may be the only person who reads my blog so here's a recipe just for her. I had some bananas that were turning brown and with the cold weather, we aren't really into smoothies, so freezing them wasn't the best option. I decided to make banana muffins and since I'm trying to still detox from Halloween, I decided to go without honey or maple syrup.

Banana Muffins
2 1/4 cups cashew flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 large overripe bananas

Mix all ingredients together and blend well to combine. Fill silicone lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350* for 25min, or until brown. E requested his extra crispy (not sure that's the best way to describe muffins), so I baked mine for an extra 5 min.

Variation:
Add chocolate chips, walnuts,  or pecans.

Notes: I buy my cashew flour at Trader Joe's for about $5/lb. You can sub blanched almond flour, or make your own nut flour from scratch with a food processor. Just add the cashews and blend until fine and powdery. I have some issues with almonds, so we've switched over to cashew flour. It's a more gut friendly nut and I love the sweetness it adds to baked goods.

Immersion Mayo and Resistant Starch Potato Salad

Have you read about resistant starch yet? If not it's worth your research time. You can read about it in depth here. The theory behind it is that the good guys in your gut feed on a certain type of starch making it indigestible by your body similar to the indigestible properties of fiber. This type of starch can be found in green plantains, green bananas and cold potatoes. Try this potato salad recipe and your gut bacteria will thank you!

Ingredients

1 bag red potatoes

1/4-1/2 cup homemade mayo

2 tbs mustard 

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbs garlic powder

1/4 cup chives

1 tsp dill

1/2 lb bacon

Boil your potatoes and chill in the fridge until cool enough to handle. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside in a large bowl. Finely dice the chives and add to the potatoes. Finely chop the bacon and add to the bowl. Coat the mixture with mayo and mustard to desired creaminess. Add the spices and stir everything until well combined. Chill in the fridge to let set. You can serve immediately, but the flavors will be better once the salad sits in the fridge. 

I have an earlier recipe for mayo but here's a simpler version:

1 cup of extra light olive oil 

1 egg

2 tbs white vinegar

1 tsp sea salt or more to taste

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp cayenne

Using an immersion blender blend all ingredients together until thick and creamy. (I like to put my ingredients in a wide mouth mason jar so I can use it as storage after it is blended.) The immersion blender saves you from having to meticulously pour in the olive oil when using a food processor or large blender. Plus, it is easier to clean! Store in the fridge for up to a week. 

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

6tbs butter or coconut oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tbs arrowroot powder

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1 cup frozen organic blueberries, rinsed

Juice of 1/2 a lemon or 1/4 cup of lemon juice 

1/4 cup of local honey 

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 pastured eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except blueberries in a kitchenaid mixer. (You can use a large bowl and a hand beater if you don't have a kitchenaid mixer. I don't know how I would survive without mine!)

Once ingredients are well combined, add the blueberries and fold in with a spatula. Transfer to 12 silicon lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20-25 min until lightly browned. The fork test doesn't work well with almond flour so check to make sure the inside is cooked thoroughly. If you're short on arrowroot powder try 1tbs coconut flour. These are very filling so they serve about 8 normal people or 3 ironmen. 

Kale Chips

I am a chip fanatic...who doesn't love a good crunch?! I've been really in to kale chips lately because they are guilt free, super crunchy and packed with nutrients.  If you haven't had them try my favorite version:

Ingredients

3-4 leaves of kale

1 tsp Lemon pepper seasoning

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the coconut oil in a large glass bowl in the microwave for 30min. or in a small saucepan on the stove. Tear the leaves off the kale stems and add them to the bowl. Tear the larger pieces down to chip size. Using your hands, coat the kale with the coconut oil. Transfer the kale to a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning or another seasoning of your choice. For a spicy version add some red pepper flakes. 1/4 tsp should do the trick. Lastly sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 6 min. Remove and stir around on the pan. Return to the oven for 2-4 min. Remove from the oven and let cool. They will crisp as they cool. Store in a non air tight container to keep them crisp. Ours usually don't last that long!!

Easter Dinner

Easter is on of my favorite holidays because it's the day Jesus rose from the dead! He defeated sin and death just for us! How amazing is that? Here is how we celebrated:

Sweet potato casserole is an old Z family holiday favorite. I did my best to recreate it in a healthier way. 

Ingredients:

3 giant sweet potatoes

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup coconut milk (native forest is the canned brand I use)

1/2tbs cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup honey

Topping:

1/4 cup almonds

Drizzle of honey

1tbs butter

Directions:

Enlist a handsome husband to peel sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks and boil in a large pot until soft. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Mash the potatoes and mix in all ingredients until well combined. Transfer to a baking dish. For the topping, toast the almonds in butter in a skillet on the stove stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add the toasted almonds as the topping and drizzle with honey. Bake at 350 for 15min. Serves 6-8

We don't eat many green beans around here, but when we do we wrap them in bacon. 

Ingredients:

1lb uncured bacon

2 bags of frozen whole green beans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375* Cut the bacon in half to make double the strips. Stretch the bacon and lay 10-12 green beans on a strip. Wrap the bacon around the green beans and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes until bacon is cooked thoroughly. Serves 6-8

We enjoyed these sides with a yummy ham. I wish I could say it was uncured but our tiny town doesn't have that option. I guess we need to order one next time!

Paleo Pumpkin Waffles

In celebration of my 21 Day Sugar Detox coming to an end, I wanted to whip up some pancakes for breakfast....E nixed that idea and requested waffles. Who am I to argue with that. I had a hard time finding a recipe that used ingredients I had on hand, so I created my own. I'm pretty proud of myself. Cooking recipes are easy to throw together, but things that actually have to hold a certain shape are a little tougher especially when your husband is a breakfast connoisseur. Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups almond flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut milk or water would work also
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (I used a mix of canned and fresh. Fresh has more water so you may be able to skip the 1/4 cup of coconut milk if you use fresh.)
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/2 pumpkin pie spice

If you want to be fancy combine your dry ingredients first. If you're an entrepreneur (read as "lazy") just throw all the ingredients into your KitchenAid mixer and mix away! While the batter is mixing, heat your waffle iron and grease with 1/2 tbs of butter or coconut oil. Once the iron is hot, pour 1/3 cup of batter and cook until golden. Mine cooked very quickly today. Every waffle iron will be different so you're on your own for cooking time. Enjoy with your favorite toppings! If you skip the maple syrup, these would technically by 21dsd friendly!

Theme Night Thursday: Fajita Fiesta!

I've posted a fajita recipe before. You can find it here. This time around I used frozen bell pepper strips, skipped the tortillas and served these with a side of Mexican rice. I wanted to share the rice recipe. It's a family recipe and is super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white rice (not instant)
1 tbs coconut oil
1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 can of water (about 2 cups)
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs (pickled) jalepeno juice
1 tsp salt or taste

In a skillet melt the coconut oil. Add the rice. Brown the rice until it pops. Then, add in the other ingredients. Cook until the water is completely absorbed, stirring occasionally. It should take 10-20 minutes.

Viva la Fiesta from ashagupta on 8tracks Radio.

Nutrition Notes: White rice is not strict paleo, but it is not an inflammatory food. For endurance athletes like E, its a simple, cheap carb to refuel with. If you are looking to lose weight, skip the rice. If you are maintaining weight, feel free to enjoy a small serving.

Sharpie Mugs

I made these for a good friend as an engagement gift. I used Crate and Barrel mugs, but feel free to find dishes at a thrift store or in the back of your cabinet :) All you need to make these are a couple of sharpies, white ceramic dishes, and an oven. I free handed these, but you could use a stencil.

Step 1: Design your mug, decide which colors you want and what design you will draw.
Step 2: Draw the design on the mug carefully. If you make a mistake use a q-tip with nail polish remover to touch it up.
Step 3: When your masterpiece is finished bake at 350 for 30min. to set the ink.
Step 4: Avoid the dishwasher! Hand wash only.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

I've been a in a pumpkin spice kind of mood lately so here is the 1st of the pumpkin spice recipes that I have been concocting. I have also been drinking wayyyy too much coffee. I seem to have an addictive personality. The downside to coffee is that I get a little jittery and anxious when I drink it everyday.
Trader Joe's has a chai tea that is caffeine free, so this is what I used. It's called Spiced Rooibos Ruby Red Chai Tea If you're not concerned about caffeine you can use coffee instead, or regular chai tea.

Ingredients:

8oz water
2 Chai tea bags
2 tbs pureed pumpkin (I used a canned version from Costco that is BPA free. Fresh works as well, but make sure to squeeze out the excess water.)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (this is easy to create yourself with nutmeg, ground cloves, ginger and cinnamon)
2 tbs heavy cream or full fat coconut milk (refrigerate the coconut milk and skim the thicker liquid off the top)

 Directions Heat your water and soak the tea bags in a large mug or cup. I like to place the tea bags in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. You want a strong tea, but not so strong that it becomes bitter. Add the other ingredients and use an immersion blender to mix. You can us a traditional blender if you don't have an immersion. Blend for at least 2 minutes. Blending the cream/coconut milk will cause the drink to thicken. Enjoy!

EZ eats: Paleo Meatballs

Spaghetti squash is a weekly thing around here. The only problem is E is a huge spaghetti fan so the fake version with squash is not his favorite especially as leftovers. I on the other hand love it. To spice things up I decided to make some paleo meatballs. E said the made the spaghetti squash 100x better. So here's the recipe!

Ingredients

1lb ground beef (grassfed preferrably)

1/2 lb ground sausage

1 carrot shredded

1tbs garlic

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1 tbs Italian spices

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg 

1/4 cup almond flour or finely ground almonds

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with hands. Form into balls and space evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until no pink can be seen in the middle. Remove and serve on top of a pile of spaghetti squash with your favorite marinara!