Recipes

The classic blueberry muffin gets an update with spelt flour and a flavor boost from orange juice and zest.

1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups spelt flour (you can use whole wheat flour in place of the spelt)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, cream together oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, zest and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter-egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

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I realize it is a little nutty to make your own nut butter, but it is really easy, fresh, and delicious. If you have a VitaMix or something else strong enough to whip nuts to a creamy paste, then I think you should give it a try. Almonds have vitamin E, antioxidants, and the good fats that help lower harmful LDL cholesterol, reducing your risk of heart disease. They are also in season during the summer, so now it a great time to order a big bag and start blending.

2 cups Raw Organic Almonds

4 Tbs Organic Raw Whole Flaxseed

1/2 Vanilla Bean

2 Tbs Organic Raw Hemp Seeds

2 Tbs Organic Coconut Oil

3/8-1/2 cup Organic Sunflower Oil

Cut Vanilla Bean in half, vertically, and scrape out the insides with a knife, add the bits from the inside of the vanilla bean to your blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on high, you will need to use the tamper to keep the thick mixture moving, blend until you have creamy almond butter.

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Okay, I really did it, I made raw spaghetti using spiral sliced zucchini instead of regular pasta noodles. It was actually really good- I have to admit, I was a little surprised. I got the recipe from this link, and check out their pictures because they are a lot better than mine turned out- (I am still working on my photography skills.) They said to put in 1-2 cloves garlic, but that was just to much, so I would say 1/2- 1 clove will be plenty.

Recipe:

3 large heirloom tomatoes, or the equivalent of the same amount of cherry tomatoes – cut in chunks
2-3 halves sun-dried tomatoes
1-2 dates – pits removed
1/2 -1 clove garlic
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup or more fresh basil leaves
1-2 leaves, or 1 tbsp of fresh oregano (optional)
Handful of flat leaf parsley (optional)
Celtic salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Serve over zucchini shaved on a spiral slicer on the spaghetti setting.

Try it… and let me know what you think!

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These bars are like a slice of fruit cobbler that you can eat on-the-go. They are a sweet dessert that is simple to make. These cobbler bars can be made with any all fruit jam- strawberry, apricot, raspberry- just make sure there is no added sugar in the jam. I used blackberry jam this time.  I use 1 egg in this recipe to hold them all together, but I would love to know if any of you find a way to stick together without the egg.

• 1 (13-ounce) jar all fruit jam (about 1 1/4 cups) (my favorite is St. Dalfour )
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup applesauce (no sugar)
• 1/2 cup of canola oil
• 1 egg, at room temperature, beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch metal baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.

Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, honey, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir in the oats and walnuts. Add the applesauce, oil, egg and vanilla and stir until incorporated.

Using a fork or clean fingers, lightly press half of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread the jam over the crust leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the pan. Cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten. Bake until light golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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