Tag Archives: Gluten Free

Banana Walnut Muffins

Looking for an easy, no added sugar, healthy, grain free muffin? These Banana Walnut Muffins are sure to please! All you need is a food processor and a few ingredients. They are moist and have the perfect crumb. The sweetness comes from whole food – dates and banana. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for a quick and easy school day breakfast for the kids. Just thaw in the microwave.

Banana Walnut Muffins

Banana Walnut Muffins (Grain Free, Paleo)

Banana Walnut Muffins

To Begin:

Preheat your oven 350º degrees.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Cubed Zucchini (about 2 medium or 1 large)

1 Ripe Banana (with black spots)

1/2 Cup Coconut Flour

4 Medjool Dates, pitted

1/2 Cup Hot Water

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract (no additives)

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/3 Cup Raw Walnuts

To Make The Muffins:

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners.

Soak the pitted dates in the 1/2 cup of hot water for ten minutes. Meanwhile cube your zucchini and assemble the rest of the ingredients. Place the dates and soaking water in the food processor and puree together. Add the zucchini and banana and thoroughly puree. Add the eggs, coconut flour, vanilla and baking soda and puree until thoroughly blended and coconut flour has absorbed some of the liquid and it is the consistency of cake batter.

Using a muffin scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill the muffin liners with the muffin batter. Top with walnuts, dispersing evenly. Bake in a 350º degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for ten minutes before placing on a wire cooling rack.

Enjoy these delicious muffins! They are less than 100 calories each and full of healthy ingredients you can feel good about.

Makes 10 Muffins

muffin practice

 

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

 

 

Pizza Kale Chips

If you are looking for a way to get in more greens, want to avoid dairy or just don’t tolerate it but love pizza (and who doesn’t), want to crowd out the junk without pain and cravings, may I suggest these crunchy, Pizza Kale Chips? Warning, they are addictive!

Pizza Kale Chips

Pizza Kale Chips

Ingredients:

2 Bunches of Organic Curly Kale

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup Pine Nuts

1/2 Cup Organic Sundried Tomatoes (Plain no Oil, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water)

1 Organic Red Bell Pepper

1/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Sliced Green Scallions (green parts only)

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Ground Fennel Powder

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 Cup of Water

Directions:

Taking your thumb and index finger along the spine of the kale leaves, strip the leaves in one swipe from it’s rib or stalk. Thoroughly wash the kale leaves under cool water. Lay out on paper towel in one layer to dry completely, 30 minutes to an hour. I like to use a salad spinner first to get most of the moisture off. It is important the kale is thoroughly dry if you want crunchy chips!

Meanwhile, make the seasoning. In a high speed blender, like a Vitamix, blend all the remaining ingredients to make the pizza sauce. In a very large bowl, place your dried kale and pour the sauce on top. Get your hands in there and thoroughly mix and coat the kale leaves.

Place on six teflon lined dehydrator trays and place in your food dehydrator at 118º degrees for 10 to 16 hours until very crisp.

In the dehydrator, they get crunchy like potato chips and stay that way! If you don’t have a dehydrator, and would like to own one, I highly recommend this one! I have two of them, and they come in handy for a lot of food, including fruit rollups….recipe coming soon!

You can also make them in the oven, but I have never been as happy with the results using the oven. You will have to eat them the day they are made that way, and the texture just isn’t the same. If you don’t have a dehydrator, and would like to make them in the oven, Preheat Oven 300º, using parchment lined baking sheets, lay the kale in a single layer and bake 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip with a spatula, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes watching carefully so they don’t burn. Cool Completely.

Kale has a lot of roughage. This recipe make 8 servings. Listen to your body and don’t overdo it which is easy to do when they are so good!

Enjoy!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Lime Pork Shoulder with Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

Hello lovely people! I hope you are enjoying January wherever you may be in the hemosphere! I have to say, I would like to see a teeny tiny bit more sun here on the East Coast. However, January seems to be speeding by, and what better way to enjoy it than a warm, hearty, nutritious meal with fast and easy to cook pork shoulder roast (aka pork butt) cut into cubes, and drizzled with a blueberry pomegranate reduction sauce!

Lime Pork Butt with Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

Lime Pork Butt with Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

It is pretty, delectable and much faster than roasting a whole pork roast, but with the same delicious juicy flavor, because it is broiled! As an added bonus, cubing it allows more square inch for the lime zest to cover the pork! Serve it with carrots, brussels sprouts and mashed celeriac root, or your favorite sides, to balance out the meal with lots of important veggies. Sound appealing? Well, stick with me, and you will have it on the table in no time! You choose the sides! You can do this dish in advance up to the broiling! The meat is marinated from 4 to 24 hours, and the reduction can be made in advance as well.

Lime Pork Shoulder with Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

Ingredients for the Pork:

1 3.5 Lb. Pork Shoulder, I get mine from U.S. Wellness Meats

3 Fresh Limes, zest and juice

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Sliced Green Onion, Green Parts Only

Ingredients for Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce:

2 Cups Wild Blueberries, Thawed

1/2 Cup POM Wonderful 100% Juice (I called POM Wonderful direct and was told that their juice contains only 100% pomegranate so it is SCD Safe)

2 Teaspoons Garlic Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt of Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Cube the pork shoulder into 2 inch cubes and place it in a gallon ziplock bag. Whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and green onion. Pour over the cubes and make sure the pork is evenly coated. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

To make the reduction sauce, blend all the sauce ingredients in a blender until completely smooth. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat when boiling to a simmer, and continue to simmer until it has reduced by half. This will take approximately 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and when it is half its original amount and thickening, it is ready.

When ready to cook your pork, preheat your broiler to high heat. Remove the pork cubes from the marinade, discard the marinade, and place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or foil for easier cleanup. Broil the pork for seven minutes, then remove from the oven, turn the cubes over, and broil 5 – 7  more minutes or until the pork has reached 145º degrees in the center.

Serve with warm Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce on top.

Serves 8

Lime Pork Shoulder with Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

Lime Pork Shoulder with Blueberry Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

 

 

 

Island Get Away Immune Boosting Parfait

Island Getaway Immune Boosting Parfait

Island Getaway Immune Boosting Parfait

It is so important to keep our immune systems strong and feed ourselves nutrient dense foods during the winter months when we want to avoid colds and flu! For me, that means the treats I choose to put in my mouth need to be full of nutrients as well. I am not a perfectionist when it comes to food, but if you want to heal your digestion and keep your immune system strong, live long, and avoid downtime due to winter illness, there are ways to have your treats and not sacrifice nutrients. The Island Getaway Immune Boosting Parfait recipe consists of organic superfruits including raspberries, mango, pomegranate juice, currants, walnuts, almonds, lemon juice, banana, cinnamon, superfood matcha green tea, coconut, honey and a little vanilla. It tastes like a decadent dessert, but it is also a dense, nutrient rich food that will benefit your body’s cells, be part of a diet to keep your immune system strong, has flavonoids, phytonutrients, antioxidants, good fat, vitamins and minerals.  All you need is a blender!

Some lifestyle choices that will help you meet your wellness goals this winter season are moving your body, getting enough sleep, getting outside in the sunshine and/or supplementing with Vitamin D3, and as mentioned, food choices. Most people are deficient in Vitamin D in the winter time. We get it naturally from the sun, but during the winter months and even the summer months, due to sunscreen, our bodies often do not absorb enough. Vitamin D is supportive to our immune systems. It is a hormone, not a vitamin, and is necessary for our immune systems to function properly. I started supplementing with Vitamin D3 this Autumn and within a week I was sleeping better. Here is an article for more information on the benefits of Vitamin D along with a short video. Also, Chris Kresser has written an informative article on Vitamin D entitled, “Vitamin D: the new super-nutrient?” You can read that article here.

So, pick your favorite exercise and commit to it regularly. For me that means weights and cardio three days a week in the mornings, yoga on the other days, and walking outdoors (weather permitting). Restorative yoga helps me wind down and sleep in the evening, especially when I have had a hectic day, (just 15 minutes will help). Lately I am really having fun with ball workouts. They make me feel like I am playing like a kid, not working out, but I am seeing results! Here’s one that I like. So, choose something that is fun! You will be getting the benefits of exercise and endorphins from doing something you enjoy, like jump roping or hula hooping. Here is a inspirational article on winter workouts from The Aloha Way, Source of Happiness entitled “Winter Workouts, Take it Inside by Eric Petri. And another on the benefits of stretching called “Stretch Your Way To Wellness” by Donna Flagg.

So here is the delicious, nutrient rich, parfait recipe:

Island Getaway Immune Boosting Parfait

Ingredients:

First Layer Mango:

1 Ripe Mango

1/4 Cup Raw Walnuts

1/4 Cup Organic Dried Currants

1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Second Layer Raspberry Pomegranate:

2/3 Cup Organic Frozen Raspberries, Thawed

1 Tablespoon 100% POM Juice

1 Ripe Banana

1/4 Cup Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

Third Layer Matcha Green Tea

4 Teaspoons Powdered Matcha Green Tea

1/4 Cup Raw Almonds (I used sprouted)

1/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk, no additives

2 Tablespoons Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

2 Tablespoons Pure Honey

Finish with pomegranate seeds on the top.

Directions: Starting with the first layer, blend all the ingredients until smooth and pudding consistency. Divide between three glasses or dishes evenly. Repeat with the Raspberry Pomegranate layer. Repeat with the Matcha Green Tea layer. Top with 1/2 teaspoon pomegranate seeds on each parfait. Chill two hours before serving.

Keeps in the refrigerator for 4 days.

I like these for breakfast. It is a serving of Matcha in each parfait. They are also good post workout! I hope you enjoy them. Imagine you are in a sunny island paradise on vacation while you are eating it for extra benefits!

Makes 3

Eat your nutrients! You deserve it!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

*I contacted POM Juice directly to inquire about any additives or fillers in their 100% POM Juice and was told they put nothing in it. It is pure pomegranate juice. So, this item is SCD Legal.

 

Homemade Grain Free Garlicky Croutons

So how’s your winter going so far? The kids started back to school this week after winter break, and my Health Coaching classes started up again as well. I always get so pumped when I start a new unit. This week we are going more depth on how things can go wrong with our digestion and cause Candida, SIBO, Gut Dysbiosis and other ailments and how to correct it. Our digestion is so important for overall health!

Ming has been lazing around the house more than usual due to the colder weather. She likes to find a sunny spot and bask in it. Ironically, the cold weather invigorates her, and she would much rather walk outside in the cold than in the heat. She collapses if she walks too far when it is above 65º, but in cool weather, she is like the energizer bunny. Remember him?

I am eating a lot of salad lately and wanted a crunchy crouton to go with it. This garlicky, crunchy crouton goes well with salad and is also wonderful on a bowl of Crock Pot Cream of Tomato Basil Soup. They are twice baked and then tossed in garlic olive oil and some coarse flaky sea salt. They stay fresh for up to three weeks when stored in the refrigerator, so you can add them to soup or salad whenever you feel like it!

Homemade Grain Free Garlic Croutons

Homemade Grain Free Garlicky Croutons

Homemade Grain Free Garlicky Croutons

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

2 Pastured Eggs

2 Tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Paprika

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Clear Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

—————————-

For Tossing Hot Croutons:

2 Tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Flaky Coarse Salt, I used Fleur De Sel

Directions: Preheat Oven 325º degrees. Whisk together in a medium bowl the two eggs, 2 Tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil, salt, pepper, herbs and honey. Add the almond flour and baking soda and stir with a fork, using a rubber spatula to finish, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Dump the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and spread into a uniform 7 to 8 inch square. Just approximate it as best you can. The dough should be about a half inch thick. It will rise when you bake it.

Place the crouton dough into the preheated oven, and bake for 28 minutes. It will be golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, maintaining the heat of your oven.

With a serrated knife, cut the croutons into 1 inch cubes, and place back onto the cookie sheet in a single layer and back into the oven for 25 more minutes, stirring once.

Get a medium sized bowl ready, and when you remove the croutons from the oven place them in the bowl immediately and drizzle them with 2 Tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil and toss to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of coarse salt and toss. I used Fleur De Sel. Cool completely in a single layer before refrigerating in a sealed container, or serve them hot on top of salad or soup! Mmmmm! Good!

Homemade Grain Free Garlicky Croutons! Crunchy and Delicious!!!!

Homemade Grain Free Garlic Croutons

Homemade Grain Free Garlicky Croutons

Makes approximately 60 croutons.

Serving Size for very Low FodMap is 5 Croutons.

Go Here for a link to the SIBO Low FodMap Specific Carb Food Guide.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Blackberry Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Berrylicious Dressing

Are you ready for a delicious, phytonutrient loaded salad? This one has fruits, nuts, pomegranate seeds and living butter lettuce to give you a blast of them! It also is candy for the eyes, and it is well know we eat with all of our senses! Phytonutrients are so unbelievably important for our bodies, our cells, and for cancer prevention. A variety in the diet boosts their effectiveness and creates nutrient synergy. They give our bodies the tools it needs to enable it to heal and maintain vitality. Greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, green tea…….there are plenty to choose from, and variety is possible no matter if you are eating Paleo, SCD, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, or just seeking nutrients, you get the idea. Here is a handy chart of some of the most common foods containing phytonutrients to get you started, but there are thousands and more being discovered. If you would like additional information about phytonutrients, here is an article from Gaiam Life and one from Dr. Fuhrman entitled Nutrient Density and Phytochemical-rich foods.

Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Dressing

Blackberry Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Berrylicious Dressing

The Blueberry Berrylicious Salad Dressing gets its fat from nuts and seeds.

Berrylicious Salad Dressing

Berrylicious Salad Dressing

Blackberry Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Berrylicious Dressing

Ingredients for Salad:

2 Heads of Living Butter Lettuce

1 Cup of Fresh Orange Segments, halved or 1 can of Native Forest Mandarin Oranges in their own juice

1 Pint Fresh Organic Blackberries

1/4 Cup Pomagranite Seeds

1/2 Cup Raw Pecans

1/2 Cup Raw Walnut Halves

Directions: Tear the butter lettuce into bite sized pieces and scatter berries, fruit, pomegranate seeds and nuts on top.

Blueberry Berrylicious Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (if frozen defrost them in the microwave)

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

2 Tablespoons Tahini (pure no sugar added)

1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (2 lemons)

2 Tablespoons Dried Currants

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions: Place all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend until smooth. This dressing thickens when refrigerated, so when using for a second day, zap for a few seconds in the microwave or let it come to room temperature for looser consistency. It is rich in nutrients and good fat.

*If you are beginning a Low FodMap diet, I recommend you substitute the blackberries for raspberries, strawberries or blueberries. You still get your phyto blast of berries!

Chesapeake Crab Cakes

crab cake

I haven’t met many people who don’t love crab cakes, unless they are allergic to seafood. Here on the East Coast they are famous because of the Maryland blue crab. When my Aunt and Uncle were visiting from Arizona last May they did a lot of sightseeing, and my Aunt tried a lot of crab cakes at various restaurants. This is a favorite family recipe for crab cakes that I have reinvented to be grain free and low fodmap. They have completely delicious, wholesome ingredients. I serve them with sriracha sauce. They are exquisite without any sauce also! The sauce pictured in the photo is PaleoChef Sriracha Sauce I picked up at Whole Foods. My all time favorite homemade mayonnaise recipe is from the cookbook The Paleo Kitchen by Juli Bauer and George Bryant. It is 30-second mayonnaise and it is literally No Fail! You can find the recipe here. I had tried many homemade mayonnaise recipes before, and sometimes they worked and sometimes they failed. Plus, I just don’t have the patience to sit and drizzle! Sorry Julie Child. I still love you! This recipe uses an immersion blender, and is so fast! There is an SCD legal mayonnaise that is sweetened with honey that you can purchase as well if you don’t want to make your own, here. So let’s make some Chesapeake Crab Cakes!

 Chesapeake Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1 Pound Crabmeat (can use refrigerated pasteurized crab)

1 Tablespoon Garlic Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Scallions, chopped (green parts only)

1/2 Cup Finely diced Fennel

2/3 Cup of Mayonnaise (I use Primal Kitchen Mayo)

1 Teaspoon Djon Mustard

1/2 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 1/3 Cup Superfine Blanched Almond Flour plus 1/3 Cup for dredging

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven 300º degrees.

In a large frying pan, heat the garlic olive oil over medium heat, add the fennel and saute’ for 3 minutes, then stir in the green onion and continue to cook two more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise with the spices, salt and pepper. Add the crab stirring lightly then the 1 1/3 cup of almond flour and fennel scallion mixture, again stirring just until combined.  In a shallow dish place the remaining 1/3 cup of almond flour for dredging. With a half cup scoop, scoop the crab cake mixture into the palm of your hand, and form into crab cakes. Dredge lightly in the almond flour and set aside on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use more almond flour for dredging if needed.

In a non-stick frying pan, heat 1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until ready to sizzle when cakes are added. Add half of the crab cakes to the pan and fry about four minutes per side until golden brown. Remove them from the pan, and place on the cookie sheet and pop them in the oven to stay warm. Repeat with the second half of the crab cakes. They are ready!

Makes approximately 8

chesapeak-crab-cakes

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Chocolate Peppermint Syrup

chocolate peppermint syrup healthier

This recipe is for the Peppermint Mocha and Chocolate Pepperming lovers in my life! My husband, Doug, uses it in his coffee, and my daughters like to add some to steamed almond milk for a Peppermint Hot Cocoa. They also put it on top of coconut milk ice cream! I put it out after a birthday dinner I had recently for my sister-in-law when I served the coffee, and it created a buzz! I sent a jar home with Jenni tied with red and white ribbon. It makes a very nice homemade gift or a hostess gift! It is so delicious! It is sweetened with honey, and I use raw cocoa powder for added nutritional benefits. So, if you are going to have a treat, no need to feel guilty. For my SCD friends, the cocoa powder is not allowed on the SCD Diet. It is good also if the cocoa powder is omitted if you are a peppermint lover and would like a Peppermint Syrup. There are health benefits to raw cocoa such as  flavonoid antioxidants. This is super easy to make!

Chocolate Peppermint Syrup

1/2 Cup Honey

1 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (I use Thrive Brand)

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Raw Cocoa Powder

Pinch of Himalayan Pink or Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract (I use Flavorganics)

Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Store in a pretty glass container. That’s it! Super easy and delicious!

Chocolate Peppermint Syrup Yum!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Lamb and Pine Nut Meatballs with Swiss Chard

This is a hearty meatball, and a delicious way to get in your greens! The meatballs are baked on top of the swiss chard (1 cup has 18 milligrams of calcium).  Fats help with the digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals in greens, plus it makes them taste so good! The pine nuts give the meatballs texture and personality. The mint, fennel, leeks and orange zest pair very well together with the lamb. This meatball recipe is an easy, one dish, main dish. Grass fed lamb is a good source of zinc, vitamin B12 and selenium. I also served this dish with roasted carrots, beets and a side salad. You can add any vegetables you like to your meal. Meatballs are so versatile! It is one of the things I love about them! Plus, since I have been really busy with my health coaching classes, this dish gets me out of the kitchen fast! I am sure many of you busy people out there will appreciate this easy, delicious recipe as much as I do!

Lamb Meatballs with Pine Nuts ans Swiss Chard

Lamb Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Swiss Chard

Lamb Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Swiss Chard

Lamb Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Swiss Chard

Lamb Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

2 Pounds of Grass Fed Ground Lamb

1/2 Cup Pine Nuts

1/2 Cup Superfine Almond Flour

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Leek

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons plus 2 Teaspoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Dried Mint

1 Tablespoon Ground Fennel

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Zest of One Organic Orange

1 Bunch of Swiss Chard, stems removed and coarsely chopped.

Directions:

Set your oven to broil.

Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium high heat on the stove top for five minutes or until golden brown.

Mix together the ground lamb, pine nuts, and remaining ingredients except the chopped swiss chard. Form into golf ball sized meatballs. Place the chopped swiss chard in a large non-stick, oven-proof pan or large dutch oven. Toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with additional salt and pepper to taste. Place the meatballs on top of the swiss chard, leaving space between the meatballs for even cooking.

Place meatballs and swiss chard under the broiler, and broil for five minutes. Turn oven to bake at 375º degrees, and bake an additional ten minutes until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165º degrees. At this point your chard will be nicely cooked, with the lamb juices incorporated into them, and the meatballs soft and tender. In a pinch, you can also use frozen chard with great results! Approximately 18 Meatballs.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

 

 

 

Delicata Sun Dried Tomato Galette

This rustic Galette is sure to please! It is a meatless main course, and is nice paired with a salad on the side. Delicata Squash are smaller than other winter squash and are tender with orange flesh. Four ounces of Delicata Squash has 3 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein, in addition to vitamins A and C.  I used two medium Delicata in the Galette. You can also substitute butternut squash for the Delicata if you can’t find it. I love the ease of making the rustic crust (no perfectionism here!) and it is fun to hear the oooo’s and aaaaa’s when you pull it from the oven! The sun dried tomatoes add delicious concentrated flavor, and the scallions and black olives add a finishing gourmet touch!

Delicata Sundried Tomato Galette

Delicata Sun Dried Tomato Galette

 Delicata Sun Dried Tomato Galette

Directions: Preheat your oven 375º degrees.

Ingredients for the Crust:

2 1/4 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Egg

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink or Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Mix the crust ingredients in a large bowl until it holds together. Place the crust ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet and pat out with your fingers into approximately a twelve inch round, like you would a pizza dough.

Ingredients for the Filling:

4 Cups of Peeled and Cubed Delicata Squash

3 Sun Dried Tomatoes, Soaked in Hot Water for 1 hour to soften

1/2 Cup of Pitted Black Olives

1 Tablespoon plus 2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Green Scallions, sliced, green parts only

1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Delicata Sundried Tomato Galette

Delicata Sun Dried Tomato Galette

For the filling, place your peeled and cubed squash onto a parchment lined, rimmed baking pan and toss with 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil, the Italian Seasoning, Salt and Pepper. Roast in the oven in a single layer for 20 minutes, stirring once. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Drain the soaking water off your sun dried tomatoes and finely chop. Mound your squash into the center of the patted out galette crust and spread to within an inch and a half of the edges of the crust. Sprinkle with the sun dried tomatoes and olives. Gently fold the crust edges up and around the filling pressing a bit to keep it in place, a spatula can help here. Drizzle the filling with two teaspoons of olive oil. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes in the oven. Remove and sprinkle with green scallions. Serve and enjoy!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

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