Giada De Laurentiis has always been one of my favorite Food Network stars. Maybe it's her beach view kitchen or her sexy paddle boarding husband or perhaps, it's just the simplicity of her recipes. This nutritimentation was inspired by watching her make Mini Almond Butter & Strawberry Muffins. I couldn't resist the itch to make my version of these, I mean c'mon, the strawberry jam oozing out of the middle, are you kidding!? Almond Butter & Strawberry Chia MuffinsServings: 8 large muffins 1/2 cup of oat flour 1/2 cup of spelt flour 1/2 tsp of baking soda 1/2 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp of baking powder 1/2 tsp of cinnamon 1 cup of almond butter 1/2 cup of pure cane sugar 1/4 cup of coconut oil - melted 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup of plain yogurt (or dairy free yogurt) strawberry chia jam* Preheat the oven to 325-350 degrees.* Fill muffin tins with baking cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine the almond butter, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and yogurt then mix well. Fold in half of the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Repeat once more with the remaining dry mixture. Fill the individual muffin tins halfway with the dough mixture then add a layer of 1 Tbsp of strawberry jam on top followed by another scoop of dough. They will be filled just about to the top of the baking cup. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown. Let cool to touch then remove from pan and serve warm or place on a cooling rack to finish. Notes:
*You can find the recipe for strawberry chia jam in my Nutritimentation Cookbook :) *Giada's recipe called for 325 degrees but I know my oven runs at a lower temp so I set it to 350.
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Today was one of those mornings I just felt productive. I baked some muffins, ate one of those muffins, took some snap shots of the muffins, anddddd... even prepped some turkey burgers for dinner (I know, you thought I was going to say something else about these muffins). I freaking love muffins. Especially fluffy, warm and toasted muffins topped with melted butter (or in this mornings case, almond butter). Let's call these a lighter version of your typical muffin because you won't feel heavy in the you know what afterwards. If the sweet smell of baked apples, cinnamon, and cardamom isn't enough to get you to try these, I don't know what is. Thanks to our good friends spelt and oat these babies are also filled with fiber and protein to help power you through your productive morning :) Vegan Apple Cardamom MuffinsServings: 8 large muffins DRY: 1 cup of spelt flour 1 cup of oat flour 1/4 cup of brown sugar 2 tsp of baking powder 1/2 tsp of baking soda 1.5 tsp of cinnamon 1/2 tsp of cardamom 1/2 tsp of salt WET: 3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup of almond milk 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup of maple syrup 1/4 cup of coconut oil - melted 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking cups into muffin pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together DRY ingredients until well combined. In a separate small bowl, combine WET ingredients and mix well. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and gently fold/stir together. Be careful to not over-mix! Pour batter evenly into each muffin tin (filling right to the top of the baking cup for large muffins). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then feel free to enjoy warm or place on a cooling rack to finish. I've tried so many different versions of granola over my years of nutritimentation but never felt quite satisfied with the crunch factor. I wasn't going to give up that easy, that's what nutritimentation is all about. It's experimentation, which means it's not always a guaranteed perfect result. Isn't that the fun part though? Life would be no fun if you always knew the outcome, you gotta' be kept on your toes. No matter what kind of granola life throws your way, don't ever give up! In the end, your effort will pay off. This recipe sure did pay off. The crunch factor of this granola can't be beat. Crunchy Coconut Granola ClustersServings: ~ 3 cups 1 1/2 cups of coconut flakes 1 tsp of cinnamon 1/4 tsp of salt ~ 3/4-1 cup of coarsely crushed nuts (I used walnuts, almonds, & pecans) 1 Tbsp of chia seeds 1 Tbsp of flax seeds 1/2 cup of sunflower & pumpkin seed mixture 1/2 cup of dried cranberries cacao nibs (optional) 1 tsp of vanilla extract 1/3 cup of tahini (if the tahini is too thick add 2 Tbsp of coconut oil to loosen) 1/3 cup of brown rice syrup (or honey) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Parchment or grease a cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine the coconut, cinnamon, salt, nuts, chia & flax seeds, and sunflower & pumpkin seeds and give a good toss. In a separate small bowl, add the tahini, brown rice syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract together, mix well. Pour the tahini mixture over the coconut mixture and fold together until everything is coated and well combined. Spread the granola mixture evenly onto the cookie sheet then place in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Halfway through (about 4-5 minutes), remove from the oven and give a toss to make sure all sides get toasted evenly and to break up a bit. Remove from the oven. Now fold in the dried cranberries and cacao nibs. Let cool on the cookie sheet until it's cool to touch. If needed, break up into small clusters. Store in an air tight container in the fridge. Inflammation is that loud neighbor above you who keeps blasting techno beats at 2am (on a MONDAY) or the one who vacuums at 6am (on a SUNDAY)... NOBODY wants that neighbor. Nobody wants to deal with inflammation either and one too many of us do. Inflammation in the body can be something as simple as headaches to as something as complex as cancer. I've struggled with many inflammation symptoms, including digestive issues. If there are two superfoods that have made a HUGE difference in the process of healing, it is turmeric and ginger. They both contain strong anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. Turmeric and ginger are both very bold on the palette but when combined with sweet tropical flavors like carrot juice, banana, and coconut, your taste buds and the rest of your body will be thanking you. Not to mention the gorgeous color of this smoothie will remind you of a scenic sunset on the beach in the tropics.... Blend together 1 banana, handful of frozen mango, small knob of ginger, few dashes of turmeric, carrot juice ice cubes (or aprox. 1/8 cup of carrot juice & add a few more ice cubes), 2 Tbsp of shredded unsweetened coconut, coconut water (or regular) ice cubes, and water.
I HEART PESTO <3 Pesto on pizza, pesto on sandwiches, pesto on eggs, pesto on everythinggggg! So I saw this nut free/vegan version using avocado - genius! So I decided to add a few of my own twists adding spinach & walnut oil, nutritimentation style. Full of healthy fats and greens, this pesto is a skin-glowing, brain boosting concoction. Avocado Basil Spinach PestoServings: ~4 1 ripe avocado basil leaves (I used the leaves from about 1/2 package) big handful of spinach (about 1/2 cup) 1 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup of walnut oil 1/4 tsp of Himalayan salt (or kosher/sea salt) Combine all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) & blend until smooth.
Try a 'caprese' style omelet stacking fresh tomato with the pesto with a spinach omelet topped with more pesto & hemp seeds. You'll hear me talk a lot about watching Food Network, because it's really all I do. I always credit my addiction to it for my ability to cook, it's like a culinary encyclopedia unfolding right in front of your eyes. While watching, I found myself drooling over fried crepes I saw on the T.V in front of me and thought "I need that, NOW." Into the kitchen it was and out came this masterpiece. The best part? These crepes are made with coconut flour which is full of fiber and no added sugar. Yes, they still also taste incredible, let's call it a decadent miracle. Crispy "Fried" Banana CrepesServings: 2 (10in.) crepes Crepes: 2 organic eggs 2 Tbsp of coconut oil (melted) 1/3 cup of homemade almond (or coconut) milk 1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract 2 Tbsp of coconut flour 1/8 tsp of salt Few small dashes of cinnamon Dash of nutmeg More coconut oil (for pan) Filling: 1/2 banana chopped (for each - so 1 banana total) + cinnamon + 1/2 tsp of coconut oil (for each - so 1 tsp total) *Feel free to add some chopped nuts, cacao nibs, shredded coconut, or switch up the fillings! Almond Butter 'Syrup': 2 Tbsp of almond butter mixed with 1 Tbsp of organic macadamia oil Topping: 1/2 banana chopped (for each - so 1 banana total) + 1 Tbsp of coconut oil (for each - so 2 Tbsp total) + cinnamon Heat a 10inch non-stick skillet with coconut oil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, prepare your filling. In a small bowl, toss the banana, coconut oil, and cinnamon together. Also, prep your almond butter syrup. In a separate small bowl, mix the almond butter and macadamia oil, set aside. Combine your crepe ingredients in a small bowl and mix until your batter forms (it should be more runny than normal pancake batter). Now, I did this whole crepe cooking process a little differently.....flipping a crepe can be a pain in the you know what and it can be hard to get it to roll up and stay shut sooo.... Pour 1/2 your batter into the skillet and swirl around until it coats the whole pan. Let your crepe start to cook for 2-3 minutes becoming bubbly and crisp around the edges. Remove from the heat and let sit for another 1-2 min. Place your crepe back over med heat, place the filling in the middle of the crepe then fold the crepe in half (just like cooking an omelet). Press down with a spatula then fold over in half again. You should have a nice burrito type roll - no flipping, rolling B.S. Carefully remove the crepe from the skillet and place it on a plate. Prepare your topping by placing banana, coconut oil, and cinnamon in the skillet and caramelizing the bananas on both sides. Remove and set aside. Place a generous amount of coconut oil in the skillet and turn the heat up to med high. Let the oil heat and place your crepe back in the pan and "fry" until golden brown & crispy on both sides. Yet again, homemade food proves it's way better then store bought. This version of almond milk is so creamy and actually tastes like real almonds, can you believe that? :) This version can be transferred into other types of milk like coconut, cashew, macadamia, hazelnut, etc. Homemade Almond MilkServings: ~ 24oz 2 cups of raw almonds 4 cups of water Start by soaking your almonds in a bowl of water overnight. (6 hours will do, I just find it's easier to let them soak overnight) Pour almonds through a strainer and rinse very well! Put almonds and the 4 cups of (new) clean water into your blender & blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Place a cheesecloth (or mesh strainer or nut milk bag) over a wide mouth container. Pour in 1/4-1/2 of the almond milk mixture from the blender (depending on how large the strainer is you are using). Grab all sides to enclose the almond mixture and start to squeeze! Here comes your fresh delicious almond milk! Gently squeeze until all the milk comes out then place the almond meal into a bowl (you can save this to dehydrate and make almond flour for baking!) Repeat the straining until you are done. Store almond milk in a mason jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Feel free to add in a tsp of vanilla extract, sweetener, cinnamon, or even some raw cacao powder for chocolate milk!
As mentioned in the previous post, I've been making a conscious effort to cut back on sugar. In order to satisfy my taste buds, I have to get creative and experiment with other flavor profiles. Eating this porridge was like floating on a cloud, so dreamy. The coconut milk thickened and created this 'creamy' bowl of heaven. The cinnamon and nutmeg added a warmness, while the quinoa, oats, and almond/coconut butter added a nutty flavor profile, all together it was perfection. Fiber filled and protein packed, this porridge bowl will leave you feeling satisfied, enlightened, and will get rid of your mid-morning stomach growling. 'Creamy' Coconut Quinoa & Oat PorridgeServings: 1 bowl 1/4 cup of organic quinoa 1/4 cup of quick oats 1/4 cup of unsweetened organic shredded coconut 1 cup of homemade coconut milk (or store bought) 1/4 cup of water (you can add more later if it needs it) 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon Few dashes of nutmeg 1/8 tsp of salt 1 Tbsp of almond or coconut butter 1 Tbsp of coconut oil 1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract *Feel free to top this dreamy bowl with more dreamy and superfood toppings like chia/flax seeds, granola (I topped mine with my coconut granola) and drizzle with some macadamia oil (or maple syrup if you really need sweetener). In a small pot over the stove, combine all ingredients (except toppings), give a quick stir, and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat down to med/low and let simmer until it thickens and quinoa is fully cooked - about 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Pour into a small bowl and finish with your choice of toppings. This recipe is so simple and I was so surprised at how perfect this bread came out. The coconut components add a subtle sweetness and the spelt flour adds that nutty, earthy taste that bread has. It was so crisp on the outside and had the perfect moist, fluffy texture on the inside. This coconut bread is also filled with health benefits containing essential vitamins & minerals to your bodies health, could it get any better? Because this coconut bread is only subtly sweet, it's versatile. Toast it for breakfast with some almond butter and toasted coconut (like I did =D) or use it for lunch as your sandwich bread. Perhaps try making a batch of this 'Creamy' Cauliflower & Carrot soup and use your coconut bread for scraping the bowl at the end. Coconut BreadServings: 1 small loaf/ ~6-8 slices Dry 1/2 cup of coconut flour 1/2 cup of spelt flour 1/2 tsp of salt 1 tsp of aluminum free baking powder Dash of stevia (or 1-2 tsp of sugar) Wet 3 Tbsp of coconut milk 2 Tbsp of coconut oil 3 eggs 2 flax eggs* (or 2 more eggs) *2 flax eggs = 2 Tbsp of flax meal combined with 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of water: mix together and let sit until the flax absorbs the water and thickens to take on an egg like texture Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small loaf pan with coconut oil.
Combine dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix well. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry to make your bread dough. Once combined, place dough into your loaf pan and place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it becomes firm to touch and golden brown on the outside. Let cool before slicing the bread to avoid it becoming gummy. |
Welcome!I’m Brittany and this is ME. I’m a health nerd with a sarcastic sense of humor, a smiling/laughter problem, and a niche in the kitchen. I have a passion for fitness and cooking because together they changed my outlook on life. Live for the moment and do what you love: that’s what’s important. I kick a** in Pilates/Barre and the kitchen because it’s what makes me happy, it’s what I’m good at, and I LOVE it. EAT
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