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Legume-free Beet Hummus

Legume-Free Beet Hummus

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, rinsed and drained
  • 3 medium raw beets
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + additional for drizzling
  • 2 Tbsp. tahini
  • 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • Freshly cracked pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F  with the rack in the middle.
  2. Wash and trim the beets so the stems are about 1/2 inch and the roots about 2 inches or less.
  3. Place the beet into a single layer in a baking dish and add an inch of water. Cover the container with a heat-safe lid and roast in the oven for about an hour or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife (check at 45 minutes, but it may take up to 75 minutes).
  4. Cool the beets before slicing off the tops and bottoms, and peeling the skins.
  5. While beets are roasting, soak your cashews quickly by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water on them, letting them sit for 10-20 minutes. Then drain and rinse.
  6. Once beets are peeled, and the cashews are soaked and drained, place them all into a food processor. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, salt, minced garlic, and freshly ground black pepper.
  7. Pulse a few times to combine. Scrape down sides if necessary.
  8. Then run the food processor until you get a smooth, hummus-like consistency.
  9. Taste for seasoning and adjust with additional, salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.
  10. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil for serving.

Keto Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Keto Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Muffins:

  • 2 cups ground flax seeds
  • 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup water, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup melted (but not hot) coconut oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. liquid stevia

Icing:

  • 1/4 cup coconut butter
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the ground flax seeds with cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until fully combined.
  3. Place the eggs, water, oil, vanilla, and stevia in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds, until foamy.
  4. Transfer the liquid mixture to the bowl with the flaxseed mixture. Stir with a spatula just until incorporated. The batter will be fluffy. Allow to sit for 3 minutes.
  5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup 90% of the way up. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  6. Immediately take the muffins out of the pan and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling each muffin with the icing.
  7. Coconut butter icing: Melt coconut butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add vanilla, stevia, and juice of 1/2 lemon, and whisk.
  8. Drizzle icing over muffins.
  9. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cocoa Custard

Pumpkin-Cocoa-Custard

  • 1 can organic pumpkin puree
  • 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk
  • ¼ cup grass-fed gelatin
  • ¼ cup organic cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Stevia or raw honey to taste (optional)
  1. Put all ingredients in high-speed blender and mix thoroughly.
  2. Spoon into serving dishes, dust with cocoa powder.
  3. Enjoy!

Mulled Wine Recipe: Cheers to a Non-Toxic Holiday

Mulled Wine Recipe: Mulled wine is a Christmas classic, and believe it or not, it is actually a fantastic healthy post-dinner beverage. Loaded with spices and aromatics, a mulled wine can help you digest and relax after a big meal. Read on for the ultimate healthy mulled wine recipe! mulled-wine-recipe  

Opting for a Natural Non-Toxic Wine

Mulled wine calls for wine, and as the more prominent ingredient in the recipe, it’s important to opt for a high-quality, natural, and non-toxic wine. Conventional wine is made with grapes that are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. The residue of these pesticides is then fermented along with the grapes and when consumed, will add to your toxic load. Even organic wines in many parts of America test for the residue of dangerous chemicals like glyphosate, because of run-off and how present it is in the tap water system 1. Some wine companies are not only organic but lab-test their wines for purity. Whether you’re making mulled wine or drinking wine as is, Dry Farm Wines make keto and paleo-friendly dry wines that are also sugar-free. Alcohol is arguably the sticking point for many people when it comes to the health benefits of wine. Mulled wine, however, reduces the alcohol content significantly. Fifteen minutes of simmering reduced the alcohol content by 40%. If you want to reduce it even more, an hour of simmering will reduce it to 25% of its original alcohol content.

Aromatic Spices and Bitters

What makes mulled wine not only delicious but also nutritious is the abundance of aromatic spices and bitters. Although wine itself has many anti-aging benefits, the added ingredients to a mulled wine improve digestion, lower cortisol levels, and reduce stress. Cinnamon contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, metabolism-booking, and glucose regulating properties. Using cinnamon is a great way to balance blood sugar levels, which are already low in a dry natural wine. Ceylon cinnamon contains more medicinal properties. 2 Clove is another antioxidant-rich spice that has potent antibacterial properties, also helps regulate blood sugar levels, and is rich in manganese. 3 Star Anise promotes digestion and has potent antibacterial and fungal properties. It is also rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, including linalool, quercetin, anethole, shikimic acid, gallic acid, and limonene. 4 Oranges are loaded with vitamin C, but the biggest benefits come from the oils found in the rind. These oils have antimicrobial, pain relief, weight loss, and antioxidant properties. The orange peel also provides a digestive boost. 5 Ginger is well known for its digestive boosting properties and also loaded with antioxidants that prevent stress damage. It helps a variety of ailments including heart disease, high blood pressure, and viral infections. 6 These are just some of the wonderful, warming, and medicinal ingredients found in the mulled wine recipe below. When choosing your spices, it’s typically best to stick with whole or crushed spices. Although the ground flavor is much more aromatic and potent, they are very difficult to strain out. Unless you want to sift your mulled wine through a cheesecloth, avoid the finely ground spices. With whole or crushed spices, you can also leave them in the pot, and just use a ladle to serve the mulled wine to family and friends when they come over!  

Mulled Wine Recipe

mulled-wine-recipe Ingredients
  • 1 750ml bottle of natural organic red wine
  • 1 orange
  • 10 dried cranberries (with no added sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon of sliced fresh ginger
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 star anise
  • 5 allspice berries
  • Maple syrup to taste (optional) about 1-3 tablespoons
  • Garnish with a slice of dried orange (optional)
Instructions 
  1. Bring all the ingredients except for the maple syrup to a boil and immediately reduce to a low simmer
  2. Simmer for 10-15 minutes (or to the desired alcohol content)
  3. Strain the spices and whisk in the maple syrup to taste if you would like it sweeter
  4. Garnish with a slice of dried orange
 

References

1 “Organic Research.” The Dirt Doctor, https://www.texasorganicresearchcenter.org/organic-research-page/Glyphosate-found-In-100-Of-California-Wines-Tested-Even-Some-Labeled-Organic_vq12656.htm. 2 Rao, Pasupuleti Visweswara, and Siew Hua Gan. “Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2014 (2014): 642942. doi:10.1155/2014/642942 3 Ali, Shakir et al. “Eugenol-rich Fraction of Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) Reverses Biochemical and Histopathological Changes in Liver Cirrhosis and Inhibits Hepatic Cell Proliferation.” Journal of cancer prevention vol. 19,4 (2014): 288-300. doi:10.15430/JCP.2014.19.4.288 4 Miyagawa, Michiyo et al. “Anxiolytic-like effect of Illicium verum fruit oil, trans-anethole and related compounds in mice.” Phytotherapy research : PTR vol. 28,11 (2014): 1710-2. doi:10.1002/ptr.5190 5 Seladi-Schulman, Jill. “Orange Essential Oil Uses, Benefits, and Safety.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 3 Oct. 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/orange-essential-oil-uses#benefits. 6 Wang, Shaopeng et al. “Biological properties of 6-gingerol: a brief review.” Natural product communications vol. 9,7 (2014): 1027-30.

Vanilla Cinnamon Nut Mix

Vanilla Cinnamon Nut Mix

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 4-6 drops liquid stevia (optional)
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 pinches of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
  • 2 Tbsp. almond meal
  1. Preheat oven to 275° F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, stevia (if desired, optional), and sea salt.
  3. Add the nuts (you may substitute other kinds of your choice) and almond meal, and toss to evenly coat.
  4. Spread the nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until toasted.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower Chili

Indian Spiced Cauliflower Chili--

  • 2 Tbsp. ghee (or coconut oil)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups beef bone broth (I use homemade or Kettle and Fire. You may also substitute vegetable broth)
  • 2 large carrots, scrubbed and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tsp. turmeric
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 tsp. cloves
  • 1 tsp. cayenne (optional, or to taste)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt (to taste)
  • 26oz. box or jar of diced tomatoes (or look for BPA-free cans)
  • Cauliflower rice (2 bags frozen riced cauliflower or 1 large head fresh cauliflower, riced)
  • Cilantro, to taste, as garnish
  • Full-fat coconut cream to drizzle on top, optional
  • Diced avocado for the top, optional
  1. Heat ghee or oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
  2. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and carrots. Continue sauteing about 90 seconds.
  4. Add spices, ginger through salt. Saute about 1 minute.
  5. Add tomatoes. Continue cooking about 2 minutes.
  6. Add bone broth. You may add extra broth or water to desired consistency. Bring to a near boil and then turn heat to low. Cover. Simmer for about 30-60 minutes.
  7. Stir in riced cauliflower and simmer another 15-20 minutes. You want the cauliflower to have some bite, but still be cooked through.
  8. Garnish with coconut cream, avocados, and fresh cilantro, if desired.