Monday, September 28, 2009

Completely Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Mmmmm.... I love pumpkin muffins! But since I'm trying to feed my family more nutritious food, my favorite recipe had to go (too much white flour and sugar!) Luckily, Kimi at Nourishing Gourmet blog (I get sooo many healthy recipes from her blog!) posted this fabulous recipe. I made them yesterday and everyone loved them! They are yummy both with or without the struesel topping. She uses natural sweeteners and the grain is soaked, so I can eat as many as I want :) She uses pastry flour, which would be great, but I didn't have any and my kamut worked just fine! I also just used yogurt instead of the coconut milk tonic.

Spiced Pumpkin (or Squash) Muffins with a Streusel Topping -Makes 12

This recipe is soaked for better nutrition, read about it here and here. But it would be possible to skip that step. I have also included dairy options for those who prefer dairy, otherwise this recipe is dairy free.

1 3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup of coconut milk tonic (for baked goods, I use the one just mixed with water)
2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (or, use 1/2 cup of buttermilk, thinned yogurt, or kefir, in place of the vinegar and coconut milk tonic)
1/3 cup of coconut oil or melted butter
1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup

1 egg
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree or roasted squash
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping
3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, white flour, or sprouted flour
3 tablespoons of maple sugar, rapadura, or sucanat
3 tablespoons of cold coconut oil
n1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

1-The night before, in a saucepan, gently melt the coconut oil and the honey together until liquid.

2-In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut milk, vinegar, and the honey/coconut oil in a bowl, stirring just until combined. Cover and leave out overnight.

3-12-24 hours later, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease with coconut oil 12 muffin tins.

4-In a small bowl combine the streusel ingredients, except for the chopped nuts, and cut in the coconut oil with a fork, until there are no big pieces left. Then stir in the chopped nuts.


5- In a small bowl combine the egg and pumpkin, and add it, with the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. If your house is cold, the coconut oil will have hardened, making the dough a bit stiff, but it will loosen up as you gently fold in the rest of the ingredients.

6-Using a spoon, or an ice cream scoop, evenly distribute the batter between the 12 tins. They should be about 2/3’s full. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the streusel mixture over the top of each (you will have a bit extra leftover).

7-Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle. Let rest for ten minutes in tins, then remove from the pans (gentle! they are fragile when hot) and let cool on cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Home-made Cliff Bars

I'm always trying to find healthy snacks for my toddler and husband to take on the go and this one is good. It's perfectly healthy except the oats aren't soaked for better absorption of nutrients, so I will try to make them healthier the next time :)

I found this recipe at the Health, Home, and Happiness blog

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups crispy pecans (I suppose regular pecans could work too)
1-1/2 cup dates packed, approx 15 large ones
1/4 cup coconut milk
4 tablespoons grade B maple syrup (I would think that honey would work as well)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend in food processor in order listed above. Press into a 8x8 or 9x9 pan, bake at 325 degrees 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a bit, then cut into bars. Allow to cool completely before packaging.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Heather's Delicious Tomato Basil Chiffonade Appitizers

My friend, Heather, made these for our game night and everyone gobbled them up instantly. And don't be deterred by the amazing title. My friend was telling me the recipe and when she said to chiffonade the basil, everyone else thought that was a pretty cool word (that we didn't know how to do, ha, ha) and instructed me to put it in the title. (And if you are like me and don't know how to chiffonade, click HERE and you will see that it is super easy and takes only seconds :) For best results, slice everything pretty thinly.

Ingredients:
1 thin French baguette
olive oil
garlic salt
pesto (optional)
tomatoes
mozarella cheese
basil

Directions: Slice the baguette; brush olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with hgarlic salt and broil both sides til just golden. If you want pesto, add it on the top. Layer tomotaoes and mozeralla on top. Broil until the mozarella is melted. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle on top!


This recipe is a part of Kelly's Korner SUYL appetizers!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Creamy Salmon Pasta

My husband says this is my best recipe yet! He said it was like he was eating at Red Lobster :)
I actually enjoyed it even though I typically don't like seafood because I had a love affair with the yummy sauce :) My toddler liked it and I even gave the sauce to my baby, who liked it almost as much as her Daddy!!!! If only salmon were cheaper and we could eat this every night!

Ingredients:
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 clove Garlic, Finely Chopped Or Pressed
* 6 whole Green Onions, Finely Chopped
* 1 pound, 1-⅔ ounce, weight Smoked Salmon, Sliced In Small Pieces
* 1 cup Heavy Cream
* 1 cup Table Or Light Cream
* ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg (freshly Grated If You Have It)
* ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
* 2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* 2 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan, Plus Extra For Serving

Directions: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add garlic and green onions and saute for 1 or 2 minutes.

Add salmon and saute until slightly opaque (about 2-3 minutes).

Stir in cream, nutmeg, basil, and pepper; continue stirring until sauce slightly thickens (still over medium heat).

Add Parmesan and reduce heat to low, continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Serve over fettuccine or your favorite noodles and garnish with extra Parmesan and black pepper.

Recipe can easily be doubled; if using frozen smoked salmon, make sure to thaw it in the fridge before using, otherwise the sauce gets watery.

# Prep Time 20 Minutes
# Cook Time 15 Minutes
# Difficulty Easy
# Servings 6

Recipe found at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/creamy-smoked-salmon-pasta/