Banana Paleo "Pancakes" with Fruit Compote

This is a quick and easy breakfast, dessert or snack that tastes surprisingly good too! The basic recipe has been all over the internet (hello, Pinterest) but I tweaked it a bit.

Makes 4-5 pancakes

2 very ripe bananas, peeled
2 eggs
pinch of pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice or spice blend of your choice
pinch salt

1. Add banana to a bowl and mash until smooth. Add in eggs and spices. Whisk vigorously until well mixed. Mixture will be slightly runny - more like crepe batter than pancake batter.

2. Heat non stick pan over medium heat. Add a bit of coconut oil. OIL IS NECESSARY, even with non-stick pan.

3. Cook just like a pancake! Pour approximately 1/4 cup batter per portion into pan, cook until top starts to bubble, flip, cook another couple minutes. Voila!

Fruit Compote

1 cup fresh or frozen fruit mixture (should include either apples or strawberries). I used a frozen blend of strawberries, blueberries and peaches.
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon water

1. Add everything to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.

2. With the back of a spoon, mash the fruit to break it up. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until it starts to thicken. Leave to simmer while you cook your pancakes. Pour into a bowl and serve with pancakes!

Apples and strawberries have natural pectin which will cause the compote juices to thicken slightly.

Choco Coconut Almont Banana Smoothie

Chocolate! Coconut! Almond! Banana! In a smoothie! This is my go-to quick breakfast of late, but it could also double as a dessert!

Makes 1 Super Delicious Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1 scoop unsweetened protein powder (optional)
1 teaspoon flax seed meal (optional)

For breakfast smoothie, I include the protein powder and flax. For dessert smoothie, I omit those and include the vanilla.

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and mix on high until well blended. For an icy treat, add 4-5 ice cubes to the blender.

Green Smoothies

I was thinking of buying a juicer so I could drink my vegetables. I even had a juicer all picked out and ready to buy. Then I came across Tera Warner's Green Smoothie Challenge. Instead of juicing her veggies, Tera just blends them up into what she affectionately calls "lawn mower pulp". No expensive, messy juicer required. And by blending your veggies instead of juicing, you keep all that wonderful fiber!

For green smoothie newbies, Tara recommends the following green concoction:

Green Smoothie for Newbies

1 cup water
1 banana
1 handful spinach

Add water and banana to blender and blend until smooth. Add in spinach and blend together.

Instead of water, I had some Green Goodness juicer from Bolthouse Farms. It added a bit of extra sweetness and made the spinach much more palatable.

My next green smoothie experiment included even more greens:

Orange, Red and Green All Over

1/2 cup carrot juice (or carrot/fruit blend)
1/2 cup water
2-3 strawberries
1 handful spinach leaves
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 handful fresh parsley leaves

Add liquid and strawberries to blender and mix well. Add in spinach, parsley and celery and blend on high until everything is pulverized and juicy green!

Next up I'm going to try kale. I'm not sure how that one will go but I'm willing to try it out!

Guest Post - Very Peach Cobbler

My cousin Tobe put together a great summer peach cobbler that is low in added sugar and gluten free. She was so thrilled with the results she wanted to share with my readers (if there are any of you left out there!). She even included step by step photos. Here is Tobe's post:

I found some great Organic peaches at Costco and decided to make a cobbler. I have trying to cut down on my sugar and carb intake, so I surfed the web trying to find recipes that had limited sugar and no flour. I couldn't find a single recipe that used exactly what I wanted, so I decided to make my own recipe. Its pretty forgiving so you can change things up to suit your own tastes. If you don't have Stevia, you can use agave syrup or honey. If you don't have coconut oil, you could use butter or Earth's Balance.

Ingredients:

Fruit:
6 cups chopped, fresh organic peaches
10 packets of Stevia
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp good Bourbon such as Makers Mark (optional)
Taste your fruit and determine its sweetness. Stevia is 30 times sweeter than sugar. You could use up to 20 packages in this recipe.

Topping:
4 eggs or equal amount Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/4 cup of melted Coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup of shredded coconut or nuts of your choice
2 Tbsp of Earth's Balance

Directions:

Peel the skins off your peaches. Cut up into bite size pieces.

Add Bourbon to the chopped peaches.

Sprinkle fruit with Stevia and cornstarch. Gently fold together until Stevia and cornstarch have dissolved.

Pour your fruit into a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.

Mix melted coconut oil and eggs together.

Pour in coconut flour and add coconut milk. Mix until you have a batter like consistency.

Top the fruit with batter. If you find you don't have enough batter to cover the fruit, make a second batch of the topping. Dot the top of the batter with Earth's Best/Earth Balance.

Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve with your ice cream, frozen yogurt or coconut milk ice cream.

Baked Egg Muffins

In my ongoing quest to be more prepared and have meals made ahead, I spent this morning in the kitchen. Along with making a batch of Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Muffins, I also made egg muffins... and not the McDonald"s variety. These "muffins" are actually just eggs and chopped veggies, mixed together, then baked in muffin tins. The resulting egg muffins are great for "grab & go" breakfasts and even better for make-ahead brunches.

Baked Egg Muffins - Makes 12

- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk (any type - I used almond)
- 1/2 red pepper, minced
- 1/4 red onion, minced
- 1/2 tomato, diced
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped (yield's about 2-3 tbsp)
- salt & pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk.

3. Stir in veggies, parsley, salt & pepper and mix well.

4. Spoon mixture into muffin tins (approximately 2 oz liquid per cup).

5. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15-20 mins until eggs are set.

Can be served immediately, left to cool, or refrigerated for later use.

Experiment with other mix-in's. Mushrooms, crumbled bacon or sausage, feta or cheddar cheese... the possibilities really are endless.

Quick Dinner - Vegan Burger

When I'm on the go and don't have time to cook, or when it's too hot outside to even consider turning on the stove, I throw together a burger. It's so quick and easy to make, I quite literally, throw it all together and eat in about 5 minutes.

Take two patties of your favourite veggie burger. You could also use meat patties if you wish. Heat patties as per package directions. Top one patty with whatever condiments suit your fancy. I used ketchup, mustard, red onion, tomato, spinach and spicy dill pickles. Top it off with the other patty.

There you have it. An easy, quick and tasty meal. Amy's Gluten Free Sonoma Veggie Burger's are gluten, soy and dairy free and work great for this. If you are okay with eating soy and gluten you can also try Yves Veggie Burgers. They are good also.

The only complaint about this concoction is the mess! This one requires a knife and fork. :)

Butternut Squash Apple Sage Soup

This is almost identical to my Butternut Squash Apple Bacon Soup but instead of bacon, I added fresh sage. The sage made it a completely different soup - but still mega delicious. I served the soup in verrine glasses as a Thanksgiving appetizer. My Grandmother was quite impressed!

1 1/2 lb butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 onions, quartered
2 cloves garlic
2 medium baking apples, quartered
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
4 tsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper
4-5 fresh sage leaves

1. Peel and cut squash into large,1 1/2 inch cubes. Place cubes into a roasting pan. Add onion, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Roast for 425 degrees for 30 minutes until squash is tender. Half way through roasting, add apples to pan, toss everything together and place back in the oven to finish roasting.

2. Peel roasted apples (skins should slip off easily). Add apple, squash, onion, garlic and sage to a food processor.

3. Heat the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup vegetable broth, and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the roasted vegetables. Add broth to food processor with the vegetables. Blend everything together until smooth. Add honey and pulse to blend together.

4. Add vegetable puree, the rest of the vegetable broth, 1 cup water, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a large pot. Add whole fresh sage leaves. Bring to boil then simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove whole sage leaves before serving. Garnish with sour cream and fresh sage leaves.

Carrot Apple Fennel Slaw

I have some left over cabbage from last week's Braised Red Cabbage dish so the easiest way to use it up is in a slaw. You can make it even easier buy buying a bag of pre-cut coleslaw, broccoli slaw or carrot slaw mix and add in the fennel and apple. The dressing is a vinaigrette, but if you like it creamier, add more mayonnaise.

Adapted from Evil Shenanigans.

1/4 red cabbage, shredded or sliced fine
1/4 green cabbage, shredded or sliced fine
3 carrots, peeled and shredded or cut into matchsticks
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 apple (any variety), cored and cut into matchsticks (Peel is okay!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
pinch sea salt
pinch pepper
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1. Add all vegetables to a large serving bowl and toss well.

2. In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk together until well blended and smooth.

3. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to evenly coat. Top with sunflower seeds.

*For a meal-size salad, top your slaw with some roasted chicken breast.

Clean Out The Fridge Vegetable Soup

I'm terrible when it comes to eating my vegetables. I throw out so much produce, it's ridiculous. Last week I had some limp celery, wilting carrots, a wrinkled zucchini and a soft bell pepper. Not wanting to put them to waste (yet again) I decided to chop everything up and throw it in a pot. The resulting soup was easy and fast to make and quite tasty. The below recipe is what I put into my soup, but you can add anything you have on hand.

1 zucchini, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock (or any stock)
2 cups water
salt & pepper
dried herbs of your choice (parsley, basil, celery seed etc.)

1. Add everything to a stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

2. Remove pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until desired consistency reached. Serve immediately. Freezes well too!

*You don't have to puree your soup, I just prefer puree over chunky.

Braised Red Cabbage & Apples

I picked up some Bratwurst from the Redl's Home Grown Beef stand at the market last week. When I think of Bratwurst, normally I think of a huge juicy hot dog. But it's a new day my friends. I'm going to Mexico in two months. I need to think about my "figure". Instead of brats on crusty rolls, slathered in condiments, I'm sticking with the German theme and cooking up a big pot of braised red cabbage.

Adapted from "A Cook's Bible: Gluten Free, Wheat Free & Dairy Free Recipes.

1 medium red cabbage, 1.5 - 2lbs - halved, cored and sliced thinly
3 large baking apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground allspice, divided
3 tablespoons honey*
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons butter*

1. Pre-heat oven to 300°F. Grease a large baking dish or dutch oven with butter.

2. Arrange half the shredded cabbage in the bottom of the dish. Top with half the apples, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Repeat process with a second layer using remaining ingredients.

3. Pour vinegar over top of everything. Dot small pieces of butter over top. Cover dish with a lid and bake in pre-heated oven for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until cabbage is tender. Remove from oven and serve with grilled or broiled bratwursts. (Mashed potatoes makes a great accompaniment too!)

*Sub out non-dairy margarine for butter and agave syrup for honey and you have a vegan side dish!*

This post is part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

This is a great make-ahead meal. I cooked up a big pot before going back to work to use as lunches for the week ahead.

1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4-5 large button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 19 oz can red kidney beans
1 - 14 oz can chickpeas
1 - 5.5oz can tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon sliced pickled green chilies or banana peppers (optional)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1. Add everything to your crock pot and stir together to mix well.

2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

3. Serve over cooked rice or quinoa and top with shredded cheese or sour cream!

This post is part of Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist.

Winter Apple & Beet Salad with Honey Dressing

Eating locally grown produce in the winter can get really tiresome, really fast. Around Vancouver, winter's bounty is basically limited to squashes and root vegetables - things that don't bode well for a fresh, crisp salad. Thankfully apples are in abundance, as are beets. And although not local, pomegranates are in season until the end of January. Add all that to layer of fresh mixed greens* and you have an artful, appetizing winter salad!

Serves 2 entrée sized salads.

Honey Dressing

A simple oil & vinegar dressing with a hint of sweetness.

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 teaspoons local honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl or salad dressing cruet and mix well.

Tip: Coat your teaspoon in olive oil to make the honey slide off easily into your bowl!

Salad


1 medium size beet, greens cut off
4 cups mixed baby salad greens (I used baby spinach and pea shoots)
1/2 small red apple and 1/2 small green apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)
prepared dressing

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (F). Rinse beets and place on a sheet of foil and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Seal foil around beets to make a small packet. Bake in pre-heated oven for 25-35 minutes until fork tender. Remove from oven to cool. When beets have cooled enough to handle, put on some rubber gloves and remove the skins using your fingers. Skins should be tender enough to slip off, by pushing up with your thumbs. Once peeled, cut off root ends, then cut beets into small, bite sized chunks.

2. Arrange salad greens over two plates. Top each plate with half the beet chunks, half the red apple slices and half the green apple slices. Sprinkle half the pomegranate seeds and feta cheese over each plate. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over top.

This would also be great topped with toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds!

(*No, salad greens aren't locally available in winter either, but we have to pick our battles!)

This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist.

Sautéed Wild Mushroom Crostini

Baby Shitake mushrooms and garlic cheese bread from the farmers market.

Over the holidays I co-hosted and self catered a cocktail party. I spent weeks planning the menu, and then three days preparing the appetizers. The food was definitely the centrepiece of the party. One of my favourite creations was sautéed wild mushrooms on a piece of toasted and mozzarella topped baguette. The recipe itself was inspired by a similar one seen on Oprah a few years ago. As with most of my cocktail party appetizers, I wasn't able to get a photograph of the finished dish. Instead, enjoy a snap of some of my haul from the farmer's market today.

Sautéed Wild Mushroom Crostini

This dish can be served as an appetizer, snack or even as a main dish. If serving as a snack or main dish, consider using a loaf of French of Italian bread, instead of baguette.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, cut into thin slices
olive oil
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms (button, crimini, shitaki, oyster, porcini, etc.), cleaned, stems removed and chopped fine
1/4 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Grigio work well, but use whatever you have!)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, plus 2 tablespoons, reserved
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
mozzarella cheese (fresh or firm; cut into 24 thin slices, approx. 1"x2" or to fit baguette slice)
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (Shredded NOT grated!)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake bread for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven turned on.

2. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté for a minute until fragrant. Add chopped mushrooms. Increase heat to medium and sauté mushrooms in butter for 5-8 minutes, until starting to reduce and brown.

3. Add white wine and increase heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until wine has reduced and most of liquid has evaporated, approximately 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add fresh chopped parsley and mix together. Remove from heat.

4. Arrange mozzarella slices on top of each baguette slice. Top each with approximately 1 tablespoon of mushroom mixture. Don't be afraid to use your fingers to ensure mushroom mixture is evenly spread over bread slice. Top with a light sprinkle of shredded Parmesan.

5. Once all bread slices are topped with cheese and mushroom, bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until cheese has melted and edges of bread starting to brown. Remove pan from oven, place crostinis on a serving plate, lightly sprinkle additional chopped fresh parsley over everything and serve immediately.

Pear & Gorgonzola Tarts with Red Pepper Jelly

This is the second fall themed appetizer I prepared for my cousin's 1st birthday party. As with all party appies I make, there is no photo! I will probably be making these again. They were popular amongst the blue cheese fans in the crowd. I didn't have time to top mine with the pepper jelly but I'm sure they would have been fantastic if I had taken the time for that extra step. They definitely needed a kick of sweetness. A dribble of honey or some rich caramelized onion would have been a nice topping too.

Ingredients:

1 package phyllo pastry, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 ounces (125g) Gorgonzola cheese plus a couple ounces extra, crumbled
8 ounces (250g) cream cheese
3 tbsp milk or cream
salt and pepper.
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 jar Cranberry Hot Pepper Jelly

Directions:

1. Unfold phyllo pastry and cut into 3x3 squares. Brush melted butter on a square and cover with a second square. Repeat process until squares have 4 layers. Press into the cups of a mini muffin tin. Pre-bake phyllo cups according to package directions (about 8-10 mins or until light golden-brown). Remove from oven and let cool. Can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

2. Add Gorgonzola, cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper to a food processor and blend together until smooth. Fold in 3/4 of the chopped pears.

3. Spoon a small amount of cheese mixture into each phyllo cup. (I added my cheese mixture to a pastry bag and squeezed about a teaspoon of mixture into each cup.) Top with a couple pear pieces and a bit more crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each with a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper jelly. Serve warm.

Grandma's No Bake Whipped Cheesecake

My Grandma has been making this cheesecake for over 40 years. She pinched the recipe from the restaurant kitchen when she worked at Woolworth's in the early 1960's. (It's also known as Woolworth's Icebox Cheesecake.) This cheesecake has been a favourite in my family ever since, and makes an appearance at every major family function and holiday gathering. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at Grandma's the other day learning how to make this classic dessert. It's easier than I expected, although a stand mixer (which I do not have) is a definite must. It could be put together using an electric hand mixer but would require a bit more time and effort.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 block (250g) cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tins evaporated milk, refrigerated overnight before using
- 1 large packet lemon gelatin
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup cold water

Directions:

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Press crumbs into a deep 9x12 inch baking pan, covering the bottom and up the sides about half an inch. Reserve the other 1/2 cup of the crumbs for topping. Refrigerate crust until ready to use.

2. Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a small bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream together until smooth and well blended, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Add milk to a large bowl an electric stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks are formed.

4. While milk is beating, prepare gelatin. Mix gelatin powder with boiling water and cold water. Mix well to dissolve powder but do not allow to congeal.

5. While mixer is running, slowly add gelatin mixture to whipped milk. Mix together on slow speed for 1/2 a minute.

6. While mixer is still running, slowly add cream cheese mixture to whipped milk. Mix together on slow speed for another 1/2 minute or until all cream cheese is incorporated.

7. Pour mixture over crumbs in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.

Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen - Spicy Dill Beans

It's that time of year again! Time to start thinking about Christmas gifts and holiday menus! Last year I made several tasty creations in my kitchen and gave them out to friends and family. More great gifts from the kitchen will be coming over the next couple months!


At the request of my mother, I spent an afternoon canning Spicy Dill Beans. I use a recipe that Vancity Rock Girl posted over two years ago. I first canned beans using this recipe before Christmas in 2008. I had labels and little cards with the Mott's Caesar recipe, printed through Vistaprint. I wrapped the jars up all pretty and gave them out to extended family and friends. They were a HUGE hit! I continued to get requests for these tasty beans throughout 2009. Now the supplies are running short and people are in need of more beans! You can't drink a Caesar without a Spicy Dill Bean to garnish! They are also great for munching as a snack. This recipe also works for carrots and asparagus... especially asparagus!

Vancity Rock Girl's Spicy Dill Beans:

Yields 4 pints

2 lbs green beans, trimmed to about 3 1/2 inches
4 red jalapeño peppers, cut in half lengthwise
8 sprigs of fresh dill
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 tbsp mustard seeds
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 tbsp picking salt

1. See here for instructions on how to prepare jars for canning and here for how to prepare your boiling-water canner.

2. In a large saucepan, mix water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Keep warm on the stove top while you finish the next step.

3. To each jar, add 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds, two halves of hot peppers and two sprigs of fresh dill. Tightly pack the beans into each jar.

4. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into each jar and fill, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Cover with a hot snap lid and secure with a ring. (You want air & water to be able to circulate during the water bath, so don't tighten the ring too much.)

5. Place jars into boiling water bath canner. Ensure water comes up 1 inch above the top of the jars. Bring to a boil again and process the jars for 10 minutes (15 minutes if above 1000ft elevation). Turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars from water (to stabilize pressure inside jars). Remove jars from water and place them on a towel. Let jars sit, undisturbed, to cool at room temperature overnight. Remove rings, label jars with contents and date, and store jars in a cool, dark place. (If you are giving as gifts, leave rings on, or replace rings just before gifting.) Let sit at least 2 weeks before using.


Check Vistaprint for cheap custom labels and business cards. They have daily deals where you get the printing on several items free and just pay shipping. I have custom printed stationary, envelopes, pens, post-it's, note cards and note pads. It can be quite addictive at first and the products make great gifts!

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe was forwarded to me by my cousin, Tobe. I re-worked the ingredients to eliminate refined vegetable oil, white sugar and all-purpose flour and reduced the amount of oil and sweetener. The end result is quite good. The spices and pumpkin really stand out. A warm pumpkin muffin with a pat of butter is lovely with tea on a rainy fall afternoon! You could also make pumpkin loaves, if you prefer.

1 400ml (14oz) can 100% pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
4 whole eggs
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup water
1 cup unrefined golden cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp aluminum free baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour two 12-cup muffin tins.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut oil, water, cane sugar and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, apple pie spice and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffins/loafs comes out clean.

4. Let cool slightly in pan, then remove to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix:

(4:1 ratio of cinnamon to other spices. Adjust volume accordingly.)

1/4 cup ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves

1. Add everything to a small glass jar and seal with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to mix. Store for up to 6 months.

Beet Hummus - Guest Post from Marianne

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post by Marianne, of From French Fries to Flax Seeds. Marianne went to high school with me eons ago and last year, we reconnected over Facebook. Turns out she likes food as much as I do so we became Farmer's Market buddies! Marianne is training to be a registered dietitian, so along with having great recipes, she is also extremely knowledgeable about dietary health and nutrition. This may just be the longest post I have ever posted and include the most pictures, but is also one of the best! I cannot wait to make my own batch of beet hummus!

Beet It!
by Marianne of From French Fries to Flax Seeds

There are plenty of foods I may declare that I don’t like, but it’s not always true. It’s just easier to say “I don’t like (blank)” than to try and explain the situations in which I enjoy said food. Take tomatoes, for example. I often say I don’t like them, but I do eat them in things like salsa, ketchup, soups, stews, and of course Caesars ;) But tomatoes in salads or sandwiches, or in a pasta sauce? No thanks. I’ll pass. Because “I don’t like tomatoes”.

But this post isn’t about tomatoes. It’s about beets.

Check out the rest of Marianne's awesome post, mouth watering photos and great recipe for Beet Hummus after the jump.

Caesar Vinaigrette

I made this easy dressing to top a simple Caesar salad for a family get together. Traditional Caesar dressings use raw eggs but one of my family members is expecting so she can't eat raw eggs. Another option is mayonnaise, but it's not my favourite condiment (and store bought mayonnaise is highly processed), so I try to avoid it. I found a simple blender Caesar dressing on Pioneer Woman so I used that as a guide and changed it up slightly. The result was a perfectly balanced, fresh and tangy dressing. It was way better than anything that comes in a bottle. Incidentally, this would also be a terrific as a baste for chicken!



2 whole cloves garlic
2 tablespoons plain Dijon mustard (not grainy)
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
dash of hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Add garlic, Dijon, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and pepper to a blender.

2. Pulse on low a couple times until blended. Add Parmesan cheese and pulse a couple more times.

3. Add olive oil, a little at a time, and pulse once before adding more. When totally combined, pour into a glass jar or bowl and refrigerate prior to use.

My salad was made with a head of fresh romaine from the Farmer's Market. I added about three tablespoons of dressing, tossed it together, then added shaved Grana Padano and the Pioneer Woman's garlic croûtons, made using fresh country bread, also from the Farmer's Market. To finish it off, I added another tablespoon or two of dressing and tossed everything once more.

Pea Shoot, Tomato and Egg Salad

This is one of my favourites from The 10 Cent Diet. It's so fresh and simple. I eat it as a snack or as a salad with lunch. If you boil a few eggs in advance and keep them in your fridge, you can put this delicious salad together in a couple minutes.

Pea shoots, like all sprouts, are incredibly nutritious. They are super concentrated with nutrients - including seven times more vitamin C than blueberries, eight times more folic acid than bean sprouts and four times more vitamin A than tomatoes. (Source). Add a sliced garden fresh tomato and a perfectly hard boiled, free-range egg and you have a complete snack.

Serves 1

1 handful fresh pea shoots, cut in half
1 tomato, halved and sliced
1 (or 2) hard boiled egg(s), sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt (I use Fleur de Sel) and fresh cracked pepper

1. Layer pea shoots, tomato and egg in a bowl.

2. Top with a drizzle of balsamic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

If you're feeling extra fancy, used reduced balsamic vinegar. It's extra delicious that way. (Put 1 cup balsamic in a saucepan and simmer on low until volume reduced by half and balsamic is syrupy).