Playful Pumpkin Muffins

Sweet and Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

The idea of eating pumpkin only during the holidays is the most pitiful thing I have ever heard. You heard me. Pumpkin rocks – it’s a vegetable, and with a little honey tastes like candy. Well, to me it is given that the alternative is death to my digestive system. AND, muffins are the best element for almond flour.

Growing up pumpkin was my favorite pie, and it broke my kid-size heart that I could only have one season of the year, kind of like Christmas presents. Still, like presents I have wonderful memories associated with it. I come from a big, ambitious family, and we always came together for thanksgiving.

Ready to jump into the oven.

Also, don’t forget thanksgiving is only celebrated in the US and Canada, so this holiday was a completely new concept for my Norwegian husband. Every Scandinavian loves the opportunity to celebrate life over eating and drinking! Whenever I make these the house smells like thanksgiving I get inspired to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and start playing the Wizard of Oz on TV.

Ole's first Thanksgiving 2006.

Five years later tea & coffee with Amy, Mom & Ole on 2011 Thanksgiving.

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Adapted from RoboRanch
makes 12-16 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s works, I use Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cardamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional – use as topping for muffins)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325.
Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to thoroughly combine all ingredients EXCEPT almond flour
Stir in almond flour until well combined.
Spoon batter into muffin cups and drizzle chopped walnuts or pecans on top of batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

All-Purpose, Quality Quiche

The Ultimate Dish That Serves Every Purpose and Appeases Every Person

I’ve probably made this dish at least 1,000 times. It’s comforting on the stomach and the easiest thing in the world to make. Even the most simple-minded of cooks can make this; you can’t mess up an egg dish; and, the obvious reason why I’ve made it 1,000 times.

Look at All That Cheesy & Eggy Goodness.

When I first made this dish it was at my new place and the addition of two roommates, including a vegetarian. This dish was filling and appeases everyone – even meat eaters because of its egg-filled merriment. The spinach and eggs make an amazing combination, and the nutmeg and cayenne pepper create a nice finish that is subtle and rolls off the tongue. I’ve made it for multiple dinners and even as a side dish at a Christmas dinner.

ZUCCHINI-CRUSTED QUICHE LORRAINE

Adapted from Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager & Jenny Lass

Serves 4-6; or,  if you are the only mouth to feed, I make a full batch and freeze half of it for later.Ingredients

• 2 large zucchinis, peeled and grated
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• bit of butter
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 lb (250 g) chopped frozen spinach, thawed & drained (MUST be frozen, not fresh!)
• 5 oz (150 g) Swiss cheese, grated
• 5 oz (150 g) cheddar cheese, grated
• any additional grated cheeses you would like to add (optional)

Crust

Colorful Crust - Before the Delicious Filling

• Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C)
• Gather the grated zucchini in a tea towel and squeeze out all the excess moisture. You’ll be left with approximately 2 cups of zucchini
• Mix the zucchini, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese together. Press into a lightly buttered 9-inch or 10-inch pan
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned around the edges.

Filling

The Ultimate Single Serving

• Increase the oven temperature to 400 F (230 C)
• Beat the the remaining eggs, yogurt, salt, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and black pepper just long enough to thoroughly mix.
• Place the spinach on top of the cooked zucchini crust.
• Add the remaining cheese (Swiss and cheddar) over the spinach.
• Pour the Yogurt-egg mixture on top.
• Add any remaining grated cheese on top for yummy goodness!
• Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 F (180 C) and bake until the filling is set (20 to 30 minutes). Insert a knife in the center; if it comes out clean – the filling is set and ready to eat!

Betterment Blueberry Muffins

The All-Healing Blueberry Muffin

Why does it always feel like the end of the world when you are sick?! Well, whenever I’m feeling sick I make a batch of muffins. Almond Flour is very dense preventing it to rise and flake as well as traditional flour or other popular alternatives such as rice or soy. However, muffins are the exception to this rule – who ever heard of a crusty muffin? Almond flour is fantastic for creating muffins as it leaves them thick, soft and hearty to eat.

Honey, Almonds and Blueberry Goodness

In particular, I love blueberry muffins. Blueberries remind me of home and when baked are soft and delicious in the almond flour batter. Basically, they are the ultimate cure for feeling downright sick and unpleasant.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Adapted from Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager & Jenny Lass

Ingredients (makes about 12 – 16 muffins)

• 2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh – I prefer fresh)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (160 C). Line a muffin tin with large baking cups
2. In a small saucepan simmer the blueberries with the water until the berries release their juice and the mixture has thickened slightly. Let cool.
3. Combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
4. Combine the blueberries, vanilla, honey and eggs in another bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
6. Evenly fill each baking cups with the batter
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Marvelous Macaroons

My macaroons: Up close and personal

Growing up as a kid I dreamed of being an only child. With two sisters and an overly-obnoxious brother, the house was always busy and loud as everyone was always trying to out-speak each other. I always believed only children were blessed with the better deal; so many siblings was really a tough thing  to take. I would dream of someday getting all my parents attention, being more spoiled than I already am and having the luxury of peace and quiet at all hours of the day.

This thanksgiving I had a glimpse of what this life would be like.

Living the furtherest away from home, I would come home to visit the least. As well, because of the commute time, I typically was always the last to arrive and the first to leave. On top of that, even while in college at Vancouver, I would bring Ole (boyfriend at the time) with me to help with the 5-6 hour drive. Because of this, I was never alone, which is something I got used to, and learn to become quite happy with the situation.

This thanksgiving things took an unexpected turn. In the midst of the school’s quarter, all three of my siblings were overwhelmed with schoolwork and left their thanksgiving vacation early to return to their dorms to get a head start on exams studying. This left me at the house, alone, with my parents and our dog, Star.

Suddenly, being left alone, the once small, cramped house we lived in was now enormous and empty. And the silence was  overwhelming. The yelling and arguing I had now associated with our family’s way of love was gone. The house felt so deserted, and I began to feel lonely. The grass was not greener on the other side. I’ll admit, as much as I disliked this experience, it was still nice to be with my parents; and, although our three-person dinner was not as loud and chaotic as it traditionally is, it was still nice to be home.

The macaroons attack - charge!

To occupy the time, I started to make macaroons; I love coconut and like to have SCD food at work to prevent me from indulging on tempting SCD-illegal snacks in all of our office’s kitchens. This helped, and by dinnertime, these were ready to eat for dessert. Obviously the chocolate is not legal on SCD, but I love chocolate and have yet to fully give this up. Luckily, it is optional for this recipe!

Macaroons! Nom nom nom...

Adapted from the Comfy Belly Blog 

MACAROONS

Ingredients (makes about 24 macaroons)

• 5 or 6 egg whites (from 5 large eggs or 6 small eggs)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 3 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs whites together with the salt, until it is shiny with stiff peaks.
3. Fold in the honey, vanilla, coconut.
4. Drop and shape spoonfuls of batter on parchment paper or other non-stick cooking surface or sheet to bake.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until they are browned at the peaks and on the bottom.
6. Dip in melted chocolate if you choose.
7. Cool and enjoy! Store in a sealed container.

Chocolate dip

1. Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips or chocolate bar to small pot and melt slowly over medium heat.
2. Once the chocolate is in a liquid state (tempered), dip each macaroon into the chocolate.
3. Place the dipped macaroons on a non-stick surface and place in the refrigerator for an hour so. Alternatively, you can let these set at room temperature in a cool location.
4. Enjoy!

Triumphant Apple Pancakes

Ready for Battle Apple Pancakes

I love the Norwegian family I married into – but not Norwegian food. Do you know what Norwegains eat? Do you? Really? Probably not, because their food is very standard. They don’t have Norwegian restaurants in the US for the same reason as British restaurants – why would you eat potatoes and gravy when you can have curry, fajitas or even spiced sautéed beef? So far the only authentic place that caters to Scandinavian food in the Western United States is Ikea, and that’s about it. Get your meatballs and open-faced shrimp sandwiches, folks!

In reality, it’s not so much that the food is meaty and fatty, but it’s really the fact I can’t eat many of their dishes. A staple Norwegian diet consists of bread, fresh cheese, meat and beer. I remember while studying in Bergen some students just had rolls and cheese – and that was it. Norway is not conducive for specialty diets.

Initially it was very awkward when I would first eat with his family. Not only can I not eat the same food as them, but their portion sizes are huge. My new family has metabolisms equal to a pack of wolves. They are constantly hungry while I am sloth-like in comparison.

This discrepancy was obvious on our first family trip in New York. For breakfast, they ordered the “American Size” dishes (three pancakes, two eggs and two strips of bacon) with a side serving of fruit or oatmeal to finish them off. I just ordered the fruit. Initially they were so confused as to what was going on. “Are you sick?” “Did you not see a menu?” “Did they forget your order?” “Are you on a diet?” No. I just don’t have the appetite of a buffalo thank you very much; my hamster-size stomach is perfectly content nibbling on a fruit cup.

A meal fit for a Norwegian appetite

But this glorious summer the tides turned – I converted my meatatarian family to my rabbit-food! Oh what a victory it was, and this pancake recipe was my first successful battle in Norwegian Appetite vs. Melissa. The texture is impressively pancake-like, and has a bit of sweetness to it because of the apple – no maple syrup necessary. It is a fantastic replacement to the Norwegian waffle.

Flipping Apple Pancakes in Norway - Hurrah!

Apple Pancakes Decorated with Norwegian Toppings

APPLE PANCAKES

Adapted from Grain – Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass

Makes 2-3 small pancakes – double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, peeled cored and coarsely grated
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• butter, oil or non-stick spray
• Topping of choice

Directions:

1. Using your hands, squeeze the juice from the grated apple.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the apple and cinnamon, and stir to combine.
3. Grease an 8 inch, non-stick omelette pan over medium heat.
4. Pour mixture into the pan.
5. While the mixture i still liquid, use a spatula to gently pull back the sides of the pancakes encouraging the wet mixture to flow under the part that has already set. this will help to make a fluffier, more evenly cooked pancake.
6. Cook the second side until done and slide it onto a serving plate.
7. The toppings for this dish are endless, but here are just a few possibilities: warmed honey, warmed berries, strawberry jam, yogurt, peanut butter.

Greedy Guacamole

Greedy Guacamole

If you had asked me three years ago if I would like some guacamole with my burger/chips/salsa/[insert-savory-food-here] I could have cared less. To me, it was a sadder-attempt at a fruit with the same color composition of an outdated vegetable.

With time, and persistent nagging by my mom, this green alligator pear slowly grew on me. Now I adore this new-found flavor in my life: it is a hearty snack and edible for me – haha!

I am a notorious snacker around my family and friends. If I had the choice between snacking and enjoy eating all day, or, restraining myself to divulge in food only three times a day – I would choose snacking in a heartbeat. To eat only three times a day is such a depressing way to inflict pain on one’s self.

Guacamole is as hearty as a meal but has the convenience of a snack – the perfect medium. But at my parents house I rarely get my entire dish: my vulture sisters will steal whole portions of my guac with a single chip. Jimmy isn’t as discreet – he squats at the kitchen island waiting to strike.  Because of my parasitic siblings I make this batch in large portions. I also add cilantro – Lindsey has a well known dislike for cilantro which minimizes the attacks on my food.

They look so sweet and innocent....

...and the vultures unleash!

Guacamole is sweet, spicy, sour and delicious. On top of that, it’s legal in the SCD diet.

I converted: SCD Burger with infamous Guacamole

 

GUACAMOLE

From allrecipes.com by Bob Cody

Ingredients

• 3 avocados – peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (a must!)
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (I typically double this – no such thing as too much garlic)
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Labor Day Blueberry Pie

Labor Day Blueberry Pie

I love blueberry pie. This wasn’t always the case; growing up, if I had the choice between pie or cake I would go for cake, but since I’ve been experimenting with new recipes I’ve started to sway my allegiance to the fruit-flavored fillings and hearty, buttery crusts.

I first made this blueberry pie over labor day weekend at my parents house. Both my parents hate the city, which is apparent on our houses’ location: we don’t just live in a small town of 7,000 people – we live outside of that small town of 7,000. As a result, our neighbors consist of retirees or vacationers who come into town on weekends and 4-5 weeks a year. Although living there as a teenager can be difficult, I love coming home to the space, quietness and privacy – and the large, fully equip kitchen with a view.

Those fond memories seeped into my pie too. While making this recipe over the labor day weekend the entire family was home – all six of us. There was lots of commotion and arguing, but lots of love and affection too. So, when my sister Amy starts yelling at my brother Jimmy for stealing a sample of here cheesecake brownies she is really saying, “I love you, Jimmy”, and Jimmy is really trying to compliment my sister’s cooking, “This isn’t because I have a bottomless stomach, it’s because I value your cooking.” They probably think otherwise.

No such thing as a sad kitchen

This pie was a new beginning for me  - in my family, my two sisters and mom are very good at cooking. Amy, in particular, makes the most sinful dishes. As a result, my no sugar, no flour, no grain creations had the same associations as rabbit food to my family members – but not this time! Today, everyone fought over my delicious pie and in shock that something that tasted so good could be so healthy. Finally, success!

A Success Slice!

Now I make this pie anytime I miss my family and our times fighting for kitchen space and the oven, and our fat dog, Star, at our feet impeding our ability to move around the kitchen.

BLUEBERRY PIE

Adapted from Grain – Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass

Crust

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/3 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Blueberry Filling

• 8 cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice

Topping

• 1 cup chopped nuts (any nut! I prefer pecans & walnuts)
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Crust

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Process all the crust ingredients into the bowl of the food processor until the mixture stars to form a ball. the butter may still be visible in the dough.
3. Flatten the dough into a round disk between tow large pieces of plastic wrap, and gently roll the crust out of a 13-inch round. Put the dough still between the plastic wrap. on a baking sheet, and chill in the fridge until firm, approximately 10 minutes. Overnight is fine as well if your a periodic baker such as myself.
4. Remove the crust from the fridge. Working quickly, peel off one side of the plastic wrap. Invert the crust into the pie plate and remove the remaining plastic wrap. Cut off the dough that overhangs the pie plate to save for the topping.
5. Decoratively crimp the cut edges of the dough.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crusts begins to brown. Cool.

Blueberry Filling

1. Reserve 1 cup of blueberries in the freezer. Combine  the remaining blueberries and honey in a large pot and boil on medium for approximately 20 minutes until it thickens a bit, stirring often so it does not burn.
2. Lower the heat and add cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Continue to cook at a slow boil for 2 minutes. It will not appear to be very thick at this point, but it will thicken as it cools. You can put it in the fridge overnight.

Topping

1. Add the chopped nuts to the leftover dough for the crust, and blend together with your hands until you have a consistent dough.
2. Flatten the dough between two large pieces of plastic wrap until it create a 9-10 inch round. This should have a similar consistency as the crust, but with specks of ground nuts.
3. Place in the fridge for approximately 10 minutes. This dough will be the last assembly item for your pie.

Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F
2. Remove the blueberry mixture from the fridge and stir the reserved cup of frozen blueberries into the filling.
3. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Eat warm or cool.