Blueberry and Banana Muffins

Blueberry and banana are two of my favourite things. I original named these muffins blueberry and vanilla but for all of the banana haters out there I felt like I would have been deceiving you, so straight up, if you don’t like banana, don’t eat these beautiful babies. With that said, they do not have a strong banana flavour, the banana adds amazing moisture and depth to these babies.

Ingredients

¾ cup ripe banana (mashed)
2 eggs (room temp)
1/3 cup coconut milk (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup coconut flour (sifted)
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom (ground)
2 teaspoons  baking powder
2 tablespoons flax meal
⅛ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fresh blueberries

Method
Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl and mix well, you can use a hand blender for this.
Combine the dry ingredients together and mix well with a spatula.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry (just to get rid of the lumps) then mix with a spatula until combined.
Fold in the blueberries, fill 8 muffin cups. You can sprinkle some unsweetened shredded coconut on top before baking if you would like.
Bake for 18-20  minutes

*You can use frozen blueberries but depending on the quality they will most likely turn the muffins purple but still taste amazing.

Blueberry Cardamom Scones

Scones are usually dry and full of sugar and i’m not down with that business.
These babies have only 2 TBSP of honey or maple syrup in them, they are soft, moist enough but not too moist, grain free, gluten free and sooooo delicious.
They are super easy to make, perfect way to teach your kids (if you have some) how to make “treats” that are not loaded with sugar. Oh, highly recommended you double this baby. They freeze well too.

*You can substitute arrowroot flour (starch) for the cassava flour, it is more cost effective.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond flour (sifted)
¼ cup cassava flour or arrowroot starch
1 TBSP baking powder 
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup frozen blueberries
¼ cup cold butter (grated then freeze for 5 minutes)
1-2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
¼ cup coconut milk (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg (room temp)
2 TBSP sliced almonds (for topping)

Method

Preheat oven 375F. Shred the cold butter with a cheese grater and put it in the freezer while you gather the rest of the ingredients. 
Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined.
In another bowl combine the wet ingredients and mix together well.
Add the frozen grated butter to the dry mixture to coat the frozen butter 
Add the frozen blueberries and the wet mixture to your dry ingredients and fold together. Do not over mix.
Butter or spray a  9x1 ½ inch round foil dish and add your mixture to the dish. I actually use leftover foil rounds from frozen gluten free pie shells. Smart eh?
Once you have spread the delicious mixture into the dish, use a pastry cutter and divide the dough into 6 by pushing straight down onto the pastry cutter. This is to make an imprint for each separated scones and it will be easier to divide once they are cooked. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Gut Friendly Potato Salad

Who would have thought that delicious, creamy potato salad could actually be good for your gut microbiome. The reason why potato salad can be good for you is because you are cooling the potato before you eat it. By cooling the potatoes you are creating something called resistance starch and that helps feed your gut microbiome. Cool right? The reason why this baby is so much better for you than regular potato salad is because I am using raw fermented pickles by Bubbies which also feed your gut microbiome, and I am not using a traditional mayonnaise base for my dressing. Most commercial mayonnaises contain terrible inflammatory oils that just destroy the health benefits of potato salad. If you make your own mayonnaise with good quality organic cold pressed olive oil or avocado oil, then go for it. I hope you enjoy this healthy version, it will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.

½ cup red pepper (dice small)
1 cup celery (diced small)
¾ cup green onions (chopped thin)
½ cup *raw fermented dill pickles (chopped small)
5 cups cooked cooled potatoes (skin off, chopped medium)
1/3 cup parsley (chopped)
2 hardboiled eggs (peeled and smashed with a potato masher)

Creamy Dill Dressing
¼ cup fresh dill (chopped)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic (minced)
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons raw honey
½ cup grass fed sour cream (full fat)
¼ cup plain grass fed yogurt (thick Greek style version if possible)
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon
pepper to taste

Method
Peel and cut your potatoes, simmer for about 10 minutes or until they are tender and ever so slightly brake apart with a fork. While the potatoes are simmering prep the rest of your potato salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl and set aside. Next make your salad dressing, use a mason jar and hand blender, add all of your ingredients except the freshly chopped dill and blend together. Stir in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes are done strain them and add them back into your pot. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the potatoes while they are still warm, put the lid on the pot and just shake the pot around to break up the potatoes a little and mix them with the salt. (This does make a difference in the final product)
Once the potatoes have cooled, add them to your bowl with the other ingredients and then toss with as much dressing as you would like.

Gluten Free Rhubarb and Elderflower Crumble

FILLING:
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil 
3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb (chopped)
2 cups fresh or frozen organic berries
1 cup fresh or frozen organic cherries
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon St-Germain liquor (elderflower)
1 tablespoon maple syrup

After simmering add
*2 teaspoons organic cornstarch + 2 teaspoons water
*1 cup banana (chopped)

TOPPING:
½ cup pecans
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded organic coconut
4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
¼ cup almond flour
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon almond extract

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Combine the filling ingredients (except for the banana and thickener+water) together in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Basically simmer until the fruit has broken down and liquid has emerged.

While this is cooking, chop your pecans and almonds into small pieces and add them to a bowl with the rest of the topping ingredients. You can use a food processor for this as well. Mix together with your hands and set aside. Once the berry mixture is done simmering, mix your water and thickening agent together, stir in and it will thicken up immediately, remove from stove and stir in banana.
Divide the mixture into 4-6 pyrex dishes and top each one with some nut crumble topping. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the nuts have browned. Serve with full fat coconut milk, whip or ice cream.

* You can replace the cornstarch with a grain free version, such as arrowroot starch.
* Frozen berries and rhubarb will produce more liquid than fresh. You can also just place the mixture into a large 8x8 pan instead of individual pyrex dishes. Freezes super well!!

Red Wine Meat Sauce

I loooove to eat this rich deep sauce over roasted butternut squash cubes, the sweetness from the squash goes so well with the rich flavours of the sauce. It freezes super well so double up! UPDATED FEB 2021

2 lbs ground pork OR 100% grass fed beef
2 cups mushrooms (sliced thin, optional)
2 cups onion (small dice)
2 tablespoons fresh garlic (minced)
1 cup local red wine or 1/2 cup Port (I use port)
1- 740m Marinara sauce
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
4 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 tablespoon Montreal steak spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method
In a large sauce pot, heat your olive oil on medium/low heat, add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and mushrooms (if you are using them) and turn the heat up to medium, cook the mushrooms until their liquid has evaporated.
Add the ground meat, chili flakes, cinnamon, steak spice and fennel seeds.
Cook for about 5- 10 minutes. Add the Port or red wine and tomato paste and allow it to reduce for about 5 minutes.
Add the marinara sauce, and simmer (no lid) for a good hour or more on low heat.

Take it off the heat after it has reduced and turned into a beautiful thick and rich colour. I like to add 2 tablespoons of organic virgin olive oil at the end and season with sea salt and pepper. 
For a low carb version, serve this deliciousness over zucchini noodles!