The Best Marinara Sauce

I never thought I would crave veggie marinara sauce until I created this baby. The secret is the port and/or balsamic vinegar. Choosing a good quality tomato base is key I use a good quality marinara sauce base ( I like ones that have a bright red colour to them with very little ingredients) and you will achieve 5 star ratings from the fam!

Ingredients
1060ml plain marinara sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 ½  cups onion (diced small)
1 cup carrot (diced small)
3 cups mushrooms (sliced)
3 cups eggplant (peeled, diced small)*Don’t use really seedy part
2 ½ cups cauliflower (chopped small)
1 cup red pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ cup Port (not necessary but super delish!)

Method
If you do not want to chop all of the veggies by hand, you can use a food processor to chop all of the ingredients  separately, except for the eggplant, which needs to be cut by hand. Be sure to PULSE the ingredients in order to get the right texture. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the garlic and onion and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the rest of the veggies and sauté until veggies begin to release their water and soften a bit. Add the remainder of the ingredients along with the Port if you are using it. Simmer with the lid on for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in 2-3 more tablespoons of olive oil, season if needed.

Orange Poppy Seed Bread

I am obsessed with this super soft, moist, gluten free orange poppyseed cake. I also turn this baby into a lemon poppyseed loaf and use honey instead of maple syrup, it’s a subtle change but the honey goes very well with the lemon. You could add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract to this bread for even more orange flavour.

Ingredients
⅓ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup ghee or butter (melted)
½ cup plain coconut base yoghourt (room temp)
4 eggs (room temp)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
⅓ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Method
Combine the wet ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix well.
In another bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
Combine the wet into the dry and mix together.

Add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of a loaf pan so that it helps it release easily once it's cooked. Butter the sides of the loaf pan and place the batter into the pan. At this point, you could place very thin slices of orange sections on top of the bread but it is not necessary. Bake at 350 fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes.
Allow to cool, enjoy!!!

Spicy Summer Salsa

This makes about 1 cup of Salsa

4 medium tomatoes
1 large jalapeño (cut in half lengthwise)
2 large cloves garlic
¼ cup onion (or ¼ of a small onion)
2-3 tablespoons cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

Method
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Cut the onion into a large piece and separate the layers. Place the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño and onion onto a baking dish lined with parchment and broil until you have “burnt” the skins on both sides. Be careful with the garlic, it may cook faster than the other stuff so remove sooner if needed.

Allow the veggies to cool completely before adding them to a blender. Add the cooled veggies and the rest of the ingredients to a blender and pulse until you get the desired consistency. Add more salt if needed.

French Grain Free Crepes

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! French crepes are one of my favourite things and I think I have mastered a grain free, sugar free, dairy free version. I really do not think you would notice the difference. In a pinch, I stuff these babies with nut butter, banana and drizzle with some raw honey. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Yield 8-10 crepes
Grain free, gluten free, dairy free

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup coconut mylk
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup tapioca flour
4 tablespoons coconut flour

Method
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat up a crepe pan or a small (8” pan) non stick green pan, add a teaspoon of butter or coconut oil

Add a little less than ¼ cup of the batter to the pan and immediately pick up the pan and swirl it to coax the batter into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Cook the crepe for a minute or so on one side then flip and let it cook for another couple of seconds. 

Remove the crepe and continue with your next crepe. Stuff those babies with whatever your little heart desires, sweet or savoury.
Once cooled, store the crepes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4  days.

Soy Free Peanut Sauce

Who doesn’t like peanut sauce? Well yes, I suppose those who are allergic to peanuts but if you are not allergic, you are in for a treat. I warn you, this easy peezy sauce is addictive and it can be used as a dip for shrimp salad rolls as shown here or drizzled over steamed vegetables and rice, BBQ salmon, chicken skewers and SO, MUCH, MORE!!!

Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients

½ cup crunchy peanut butter (only peanuts and salt)
½ teaspoon ginger (minced)
2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
2-3 tablespoons raw honey
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup coconut mylk
⅓ to ½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt (may need more salt depending on the brand of peanut butter)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (added at the end)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (added at the end)

Method
In a small sauce pot, heat the coconut oil and sauté the garlic  and ginger until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the lime juice and sesame oil. Whisk  together and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and add the lime juice and sesame oil. Season with salt if needed and more water if it’s too thick for your liking.

* Refrigeration will make the sauce thick, you can reheat it quickly or just allow it to sit on your counter and get to room temperature.

Raspberry Muffins

These soft and moist raspberry muffins have a cake-like texture that will knock yer socks off. These gluten free, dairy free babies are easy to make and should be slightly warmed after the first day to bring back that memorable texture. Sometimes I like to make these a double or triple berry muffin by adding blueberries and blackberries to the raspberries. If you are allergic to nuts, simply remove the almond extract and slivered almonds from the recipe.

Yield 8 muffins
Ingredients
3 eggs (room temp)
⅔ cup coconut mylk (room temp)
¼ cup *mild  olive oil or melted butter
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almonds extract
⅔ cup coconut flour (sifted)
⅓ cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons brown flax meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup raspberries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds (for the top)

Method
Set aside the raspberries and slivered almonds
Combine the wet ingredients together and mix with a fork
Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir with a spatula
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together, the batter will thicken from the coconut flour. Fold in the raspberries
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups about two thirds full ( 8 muffin in total), sprinkle the slivered almonds on top of each muffin  and bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes.

*Mild olive oil can still be from organic extra virgin QUALITY oil. When I say mild I just mean do not use your best strong flavoured, green looking olive oil.

Creamy Cashew Dill Spread

Imma tell you right now, this is addictive. It’s smooth and creamy texture hits the spot, substitute mayonnaise for this spread in your next sandwich or wrap and you will not be disappointed. This recipe was created to accompany my Turkish inspired chicken wrap so please go to the recipe and get at it.

Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients

½ cup soaked raw cashews (soak in hot water for at least one hour)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons toasted tahini
3 tablespoons water
2-3 teaspoons raw honey
2 tablespoons fresh dill (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a blender or a container and use a hand blender. Blend until smooth, allow the spread to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

My favourite way to eat this is to have it with my Turkish Inspired Chicken Wraps.

Turkish Inspired Chicken Wraps

O.K be ready to have your mind, blown!!! I originally wanted to call these chicken shawarma but after doing some research I realized that the word shawarma in Arabic literally means “turning” in reference to the rotisserie cooked nature of the meat, so with that said I didn’t feel comfortable calling it a chicken shawarma because we will not be cooking this rotisserie style. I found a short cut and it’s a super simple way of getting that tender, juicy meat without having to cook it for hours and have a rotisserie on hand.

Yield- 6-8 wraps

Ingredients
550 grams or 6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Toppings and things
Creamy dill and cashew spread
Bubbies dill pickles
Chopped raw onion
Hot sauce
Fresh mint leaves
Chopped tomato
Chopped cucumber
Cassava tortillas (recipe here)

Method
Add all of the marinade ingredients into an 8x8 inch pyrex dish and toss the chicken in the marinade, cover and marinate for 4 hrs or overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit, take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator, remove the lid and place a piece of foil over the dish. Bake the thighs in the marinade for 40-45 minutes.

Once the thighs are tender, at this point you can cool them down and keep them for the next day if you want to prepare ahead. If you are serving them the same day, after they have cooked in the oven, you will want to grill them to give them a nice crust to finish them off. Once they have been grilled, chop up the chicken and begin to build the most delicious wraps you will ever have. Start with the cashew spread and be one with your wrap my friends.

Grain Free Banana Bread

I grew up with banana bread that contained between one to two cups of refined sugar, it was delicious BUT not nutritious. This baby has NO refined sugar, is grain free, gluten free, dairy free. It’s moist, light and I think every child and adult will LOVE it.

Ingredients

3 eggs (room temperature)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups banana (ripe and mashed)
2 tablespoons raw honey (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup coconut flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional, for the top)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Add all of the dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl
Mash the bananas in a medium size bowl, add the eggs, vanilla extract, olive oil and honey, whisk together. Combine the dry with the wet ingredients and fold together. Line a loaf pan or (8.5” x 4.5“) with parchment paper and add the batter. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and sliced bananas if you would like. Bake for 45-50 minutes

*Note- Cooking time will vary on your oven and the type of loaf pan you use. Glass loaf pans cook faster than a traditional alloy loaf pan.

Cassava Tortillas

Who misses soft and chewy tortillas when you went gluten free? ME me me!!! I can’t believe how easy these are to make and how delicious they are. They store quite well in a glass storage container and when you are ready to reheat them just pop them in the oven wrapped in parchment and foil for a couple of minutes.

Yield 6 wraps or 12 taco size tortillas
Gluten free, dairy free, grain free, paleo

Ingredients
¾ cup cassava flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons psyllium husk
1 tablespoon brown flax meal
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
Combine all of your dry ingredients into a medium size bowl and stir together.
Add the olive oil to the warm water and mix it into the dry ingredients. You can stir with a spoon or use your hands. The mixture will seem wet at first but it will suck up all of the moisture quickly.

Form a cylinder and cut into either 6 or 12 pieces depending on what size you would like. Roll each piece into a ball (this does not have to be perfect) and place a dry dish towel over the dough. Meanwhile, warm up a cast iron pan on low/med heat. You don’t want your pan smoking, it will burn the tortillas. You may have to play with the heat depending on your stove top.

Line your tortilla press with either 2 pieces of parchment paper or a zip lock bag that you have cut in half. Place a ball in between the pieces of parchment paper or the zip lock bag. This is so you can peel off the tortillas easily and won’t stick. Press down with your tortilla press, rotate the paper or bag 180 degrees and press again to ensure you are getting a nice thin round tortilla.

Place the pressed tortilla and paper onto the palm of your hand, remove the top side of the parchment and flip the tortilla onto your other palm and peel off the bottom piece of parchment, place it into the hot cast iron pan by gently flipping it onto its back side so you don’t have to peel it off of your hand. 

Cook on each side for about 30 seconds to one minute. Press another tortilla while one is cooking. You don’t want them to be crispy. Once the tortilla is ready, place it onto a clean and dry dish towel and cover it until the next one is done. I like to place pieces of parchment paper  in between each tortilla within the dish towel so they don’t stick. By separating them individually and  covering them with a dish towel will help keep them soft and moist. Serve and love me long time.

Turmeric and Cinnamon Chicken and Rice

I mean, who doesn’t like chicken and rice? This is a treat for me and I accept it with loving arms when I do decide to make it. I don’t eat many grains but when I do, this dish is one of my favourites. I wanted to create something cost effective, familiar for all of you, easy to make and a one pot dish that would contain more veggies than we would expect in a chicken and rice dish. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb/454 grams chicken thigh or breast
4 cups cabbage (sliced)
1 ¼  cups carrots (sliced)
⅔ cup onion (diced small)
1 cup white basmati rice (rinsed)
1 ⅔ cup bone broth
1 bay leaf
1 ½  tablespoons olive oil

Spice Mix
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Method
In a small bowl, make your spice mix and set aside
Cut up your chicken into bite sized pieces and toss with ½ of the spice mix, set aside.
Chop the rest of your ingredients and place them onto a large plate, set aside.
In a large soup pot (10 inch wide/about 12 cup pot) heat the oil on medium heat and brown the chicken- you may need to do this in batches, your choice. Remove the browned chicken and set aside, add the onions then the carrots and then the cabbage. 

Sauté the veggies for a couple of minutes, then add the rest of the spices, bay leaf and the rinsed rice. Stir together, add the broth, stir again and then place the browned chicken on top of the rice and veggie mixture. DO NOT mix the chicken in with the rice.
Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the stove, remove the lid, place a dry kitchen towel over the pot then replace the lid. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. This helps soak up the rest of the moisture and then leaves you with fluffy delicious rice and veggies.

*Everyone's stove top emits heat differently, you may need to cook it a little less or a little more, practice makes perfect!!

Sausage and Cabbage Soup

Oh this one is a keeper. It’s rich tasting, nutrient dense and really, can be a whole meal in one bowl. I love how easy it is to make in an instapot but if you don’t have one, no worries, just cook it for longer on the stove top until everything is tender.

900 grams Italian pork sausages (remove the casing)
1 cup onion (diced small)
1 ¼  cup fresh fennel bulb (diced small)
7-8 cups cabbage (roughly chopped)
⅔ cup carrot (diced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups beef bone broth
1 cup plain tomato sauce
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 ½ teaspoons fennel seed
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh dill (Add once cooking is complete)

Method

Turn the instapot on sauté, add the olive oil, remove the casing from the sausage and cook the sausage by breaking it up with a spoon. Once the sausage is almost cooked, you can remove most of the fat if you want. Then add the spices, onions, garlic, fennel bulb and carrots.

Sauté for a couple of minutes and then add in the rest of the ingredients except for the fresh dill. Turn off sauté mode, replace the lid and set on pressure cook for 8 minutes. 

Once the soup is done, turn the pot off and release the steam. Open the lid (only once all steam has been released), add the fresh dill and season with salt and pepper.

If you do not have an instapot, follow the same instructions but just simmer the soup on the stove top for about 20-25 minutes with the lid on or until everything is tender.

Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup

I looooove a good Thai soup and I always thought it was complicated to make but low and behold, it is not. It does have a lot of ingredients but in my opinion they are all a must, that is what gives it that beautiful depth of flavour.

YIELD 4-6 bowls

4 1/2 cups chicken broth 
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
4 tablespoons red *Thai curry paste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari (Light and gluten free)
1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
2 Thai chili fresh (optional)
1 tablespoon honey
3” piece lemongrass (sliced in half)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup organic firm tofu (diced)
3 cups baby bok Choy (sliced)
1 cup onion (sliced)
1 lb or 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (sliced into 3-4 slices)
1-2 lime for juice (extra for serving)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Ramen noodles

Method
Cut the chicken thighs into 3-4 pieces and toss with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the Thai red curry paste and set aside.
In a large soup pot, melt the coconut oil and add the onion, sauté the onion until soft.
Add the chicken and brown for 2-3 minutes
Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, shiitake and the remainder of the Thai red chili paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes
Add the broth, coconut milk, honey, sesame oil and tamari.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes covered
Remove the lid and take it off the heat. Add the tofu, bok choy, lime juice and cilantro. 
Serve immediately over cooked ramen noodles and extra lime wedges
I love to pour my soup over cooked  millet/brown rice Ramen noodles. You can add whatever vegetables or protein you would like to this, I just wanted to make it as simple as possible. 

*I use Thai Kitchen Brand for my curry paste

Cranberry Orange Cake

Cranberries and oranges go together like rosemary and potatoes!!! When I created this recipe it was my full intent to make scones but as the results kept turning out more like cake than a scone I had to concede that this beautiful baby was a cake by nature. The best part is that it has only 2-3 tablespoons of raw honey in it. When I added up the natural sugar from the fresh orange juice and the natural sugar from the honey it still only came out to 5-7 grams of sugar per slice depending on how many slices you choose to have. Dammmn that’s good!!!! Find me a cake that tastes this good and has a texture like a soft baby bum with this amount of sugar per slice and i’ll think about trying harder.

Wet ingredients
2 eggs (room temperature)
¼ plain yogurt (full fat) or Coconut Mylk yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
Zest of two oranges
½ cup fresh orange juice
2-3 tablespoons raw honey

Dry ingredients
2 cups almond flour
½ cup arrowroot flour or tapioca flour
¼ cup +1 tablespoon coconut flour (sifted)
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup butter (cold, shredded with a cheese grater)
¾ cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
3 tablespoons shaved coconut

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grate the cold butter with a cheese grater and place the butter  into the freezer
In a medium bowl add all of the wet ingredients and whisk together
In another bowl add all of the dry ingredients except for the frozen butter, shaved coconut and cranberries.
Mix the dry ingredients well with  a fork.
Add the frozen butter to the dry ingredients and crumble the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together.
Grease a deep dish glass 9 1/2” pie plate and place the batter into the pie plate.
Spread the batter out with your a spatula or your hands.
Sprinkle the cranberries on top and push them down slightly with your hand.
Sprinkle the shaved coconut and bake for 35-40 minutes

Note
You can substitute the arrowroot for cassava flour but eliminate the extra 1 tablespoon of coconut flour. It will be a little more dense but I switch back and forth depending on what I have.

Braised Red Cabbage and Apples

Braised cabbage, one of my favourite vegetable dishes served with a delicious local, organic sausage and hot mustard. If i’m feeling naughty I may even add some gluten free perogies and grass fed sour cream. Ya, I said it. Braised cabbage has a sweet and subtle sour flavour to it thanks to the apples, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. I love using bone broth as my liquid because any way I can add more homemade bone broth to my diet, I’ll do it. The bone broth is gut healing and your liver will LOVE the cabbage and onions.

6 cups red cabbage (shredded or thinly sliced and chopped)
⅔ cup apple or 1 medium apple  (peeled and diced small) 
1 cup onion (diced small)
½ teaspoon dry thyme
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
½ cup bone broth
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Method

Heat a small to medium dutch oven pot, add the butter, onion, salt and pepper. Place the lid over the pot and allow the onions to become soft, this should take about 2-4 minutes on medium heat.

 Add the rest of your ingredients, stir together, cover with the lid  and braise the cabbage on low for 45-60 minutes. You will know it’s ready when  the cabbage is tender and fragrant.

Creamy Onion Dressing

I love a creamy dressing but most of the time store bought sauces and dressings contain terrible seed oils such canola oil or sunflower oil, or they use poor quality mayonnaise and fillers that I just do not want to put in my body. I do not consume very much dairy but when I do I choose quality- grass fed, organic, no thickeners such as carrageenan or bean gum. When I make my own sauces and salad dressings I can control exactly what is in it and choose quality where I can. Because this dressing is on the thicker side it is amazing on burgers, gluten free breaded fish of chicken tenders or as a spread on sandwiches. Enjoy!

¾ cup onion (chopped small)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
¼ teaspoon salt

2 medium size garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ tablespoons raw honey
¼ cup extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup full fat sour cream (grassfed)
¼ cup full fat plain yogurt (grassfed)

Method
Heat a small sauté  pan on low/med heat and add the 1 tablespoon of oil or butter, add the chopped onions and salt. Place a lid over the onions until they have softened ( should take about 5-8 minutes) Remove the lid and sauté the onions until they have lightly  browned. Allow to cool and set aside.

Add the remainder of the ingredients  to a large mason jar and use a hand blender or use a Vitamix. Once everything is well combined, add the cooled onions and blend until creamy. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper and Voila!

Tahini and Honey Salad Dressing

This dressing is packed with vitamin C from the raw tahini and a touch of sweetness from the raw honey. I love this dressing on kale salad, a mixed green salad or drizzled over lightly steamed veggies. This will last in your refrigerator for at least a week but I doubt it will last that long, because you are going to eat it. Always use organic extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil and try to use quality roasted sesame oil as well, I like to use Everland brand. I used raw tahini for this but roasted tahini would be just fine and possibly taste even better. If you love garlic, please, add more! This dressing can get thicker once cooled but don’t worry, it’s allll good.

¼ cup tahini
2 teaspoons garlic or 2 medium size garlic cloves
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
⅓ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Method
Add all of the ingredients for the tahini honey dressing to a medium sized mason jar and use a hand blender or use a blender.

Tahini and Honey Kale Salad

This baby was created on a rainy day while in the lab. Having all of these ingredients I started to think about what they want to turn themselves into and this is what happened!

Salad
3-4 cups black kale (Chiffonade slice) 
2 cups curly parsley (chopped)
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ tablespoon olive oil
1-2  teaspoons sesame seeds

Tahini and Honey Dressing
¼ cup tahini
2 teaspoons garlic or 2 medium size cloves
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
⅓ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Method
Clean and de-stem the kale and thinly slice it (this is called chiffonade), add it to a large bowl. Clean and de-stem the parsley and chop, add it to the large bowl with the kale. In a small sautée pan add the olive oil and sesame oil from the salad ingredients. Slice the cleaned shiitake mushrooms in half and add them to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and sautée until tender. This should take about 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, add all of the ingredients for the tahini honey dressing to a medium sized mason jar and use a hand blender to combine ingredients or use a blender. Toss the kale and parsley with as much dressing as you would like ( use your hands to get the dressing nice and snug into the kale and parsley.)  Place the shiitake mushrooms over the salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Cinnamon and Ginger Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

1 ½ cups banana (mashed)
1 cup canned pumpkin (puree)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs (room temperature)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup tapioca flour/starch
¼ cup +2 tablespoons coconut flour
½ cup white rice flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (sprinkle before going into the oven)

Method
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and place the wet ingredients into another. Blend the wet ingredients with a hand blender until smooth, then add the dry ingredients and combine with a spatula until the batter has come together.

Spray the muffin tin with olive oil or coconut oil or use muffin papers and separate the batter into 12 cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes

*You can freeze these babies but I highly recommend you reheat them. The soft moist consistency will come right back if you do reheat it.

Blueberry and Banana Muffins

Blueberry and banana are two of my favourite things. I original named these muffins blueberry and vanilla but for all of the banana haters out there I felt like I would have been deceiving you, so straight up, if you don’t like banana, don’t eat these beautiful babies. With that said, they do not have a strong banana flavour, the banana adds amazing moisture and depth to these babies.

Ingredients

¾ cup ripe banana (mashed)
2 eggs (room temp)
1/3 cup coconut milk (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup coconut flour (sifted)
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom (ground)
2 teaspoons  baking powder
2 tablespoons flax meal
⅛ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fresh blueberries

Method
Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl and mix well, you can use a hand blender for this.
Combine the dry ingredients together and mix well with a spatula.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry (just to get rid of the lumps) then mix with a spatula until combined.
Fold in the blueberries, fill 8 muffin cups. You can sprinkle some unsweetened shredded coconut on top before baking if you would like.
Bake for 18-20  minutes

*You can use frozen blueberries but depending on the quality they will most likely turn the muffins purple but still taste amazing.