Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
½ cup almond flour 
½ cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg 
pinch of ground cloves

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (omit this if you'd like...the muffins will just be less sweet)

3 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 cup pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) 

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, if desired

1/4 cup dried currants, if desired

1. In a large bowl combine almond flour, flax meal, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda and salt
2. In a blender, blend dates, eggs, coconut oil and pumpkin on high speed until very smooth
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry, then stir in sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, walnuts (if using), and currants (if using).
4. Spoon batter (I used a 1oz ice cream scoop) into lined mini muffin tins; you can also make regular-sized muffins, but the cooking time will increase
5. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
6. Cool and serve

*Disclaimer- These make a fun treat for the holidays and should be consumed in moderation (that means you, Lauren), due to their high fruit, nut, and seed content...obviously, right!? 

Apple-Pecan Flaxseed Muffins

Apple-Pecan Flaxseed Muffins

(inspired by this recipe at Elana's Pantry)

½ cup almond flour

½ cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

4 dates (I use these, Medjool dates, found at Costco)

4 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (I love these)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

3 oz. dried apples (no sugar or other additives)

1. In a large bowl combine almond flour, flax meal, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt
2. In a blender, blend dates, dried apples, eggs, coconut oil and water on high speed until very smooth
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry, then stir in sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, and pecans
4. Spoon batter (I used a full ice cream scoop, which yielded six muffins) into lined muffin tins
5. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes (for six large muffins) or 17-22 minutes (for nine medium muffins)
6. Cool and serve

Weekend Cooking and Eating

The Weekend in Review:

Savory Tart w/Sauteed Leeks, Zucchini, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Vine-Ripened Tomato, Rosemary, Thyme, and Goat Cheese

This tart wasn't completely Paleo, as I added goat cheese...I had been missing the tanginess, the creaminess, and the all around tastiness of goat cheese...so, I decided to add it. I made this tart on Friday; I gave a generous slice to my friend, Julie, and ate the rest over the weekend

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
(inspired by Elana's Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins)

¼ cup coconut flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
¼ cup raw honey
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries (look for small blueberries)

1. In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl, blend together eggs, honey, oil and lemon zest
3. Blend dry ingredients into wet
4. Fold in blueberries
5. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each lined mini muffin cup
6. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes
7. Cool and serve

Makes about about 24 mini-muffins

I found beautiful golden beets at Whole Foods yesterday and decided to create this salad with them.

Here's what I did:

Heirloom Lettuce w/Roasted Beets, Pecans, Goat Cheese, and Vinaigrette
Serves 1

Ingredients:
Two handfuls of heirloom lettuce or mixed greens
3 Golden Beets, rinsed, peeled, and trimmed
Small handful organic pecans (I love these, from Tree Grace Farms)
1 oz. goat cheese
2 T. EVOO

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 T. walnut oil
2 T. EVOO
1 T. fresh dill, chopped (plus more for garnish, if desired)
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Toss the whole beets with 2 T. EVOO, sea salt, and pepper. Wrap with aluminum foil and roast at 400F for one hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice into wedges or thin slices.

In the bottom of a salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oils, dill, salt, and pepper. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Garnish with additional dill fronds. Serve.


I also made an authentic Italian Bolognese, from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, with homemade fresh pasta (an experiment for my trip to Portland, to visit Scott's fam)...definitely not Paleo-friendly, but I did have a bite...SO GOOD!!! I happily ate my Roasted Beet salad, while Scott and our friends, Keith and Julie, enjoyed my pasta creation. That's okay...I had plenty of wine to make up for it.

And, today...as a sort of cleansing:

Smoothie w/Spinach (8oz.), Two Carrots, Mango, Blueberries, and Pineapple

Flaxseed Muffins w/Coconut, Dried Cherries (unsweetened, no oil), and Pumpkin Seeds

Paleo Muffins

I'm posting this recipe again, as it is so versatile and so incredibly good! I found the original version on one of my new favorite food blogs, Elana's Pantry, and have found some really great ways to mix it up a bit. Here's the original recipe for Elana's Gluten-Free Bran Muffins:

Gluten Free "Bran" Muffins
½ cup blanched almond flour
½ cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
6 dates (I use Medjool Dates)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil (I use Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)
¼ cup water
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins

In a large bowl combine almond flour, flax meal, baking soda and salt
In a vita-mix (I use my less expensive Hamilton Beach) blend dates, eggs, olive oil (coconut oil) and water on high speed until very smooth
Mix wet ingredients into dry, then stir in sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and raisins
Spoon batter into lined muffin tins
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
Cool and serve

(Recipe courtesy of Elana's Pantry)

Great additions or modifications:
1. Add one grated apple, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and 1/4 C. ground pecans
2. Omit raisins and add one mashed, ripe banana, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 C. ground walnuts
3. Substitute dried cranberries or cherries (unsweetened or fruit-sweetened) for the raisins and add 1/4 C. shredded coconut and 1/4 C. pumpkin seeds (thank you Mom for this idea!)
4. Substitute dried cranberries, cherries, or apricots (unsweetened or fruit-sweetened) for the raisins and add 1/4 C. coarsely chopped pistachio nuts, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 T. orange zest

Monday

Breakfast:

Smoothie w/Spinach, Banana, Raspberries, Frozen Peaches, Mangoes, Pineapple, and Blueberries

Two Banana-Flax Seed Muffins

I used 8oz. (1/2lb!) of spinach, water, and a little fruit to add some sweetness to this smoothie. I swear this is the best way to sneak in some veggies and, of course, iron! You absolutely do not taste it in this smoothie...seriously!

The banana-flax seed muffins are a modification of this recipe, once again from Elana's Pantry. I add two mashed bananas and cinnamon to the recipe...so good!!!

The rest of the day I decided that I would give my body a digestive break and try an Intermittent Fast. We'll see how that goes.

CrossFit Workout:
Run 800M and WarmUp
~and~
5x5 Deadlifts
135-140-145-150-155-160-165-170
~and~
All sorts of abdominal stuff