grain free

Coconut & Chocolate Bars!

November 8, 2017 by Rachel Leave a Comment

When it gets cooler, a lot of our client tell us they crave sugar and other ‘comfort’ foods. These bars give you a no sugar hit of healthy fat and chocolate.

Ingredients:

– 3 cups of shredded coconut flakes (go for sulphite free)
– 1 cup of melted coconut oil
– 2 tbsps of Unsweetened Yoso Coconut Yogurt
– 1/4 cup xylitol/ monk fruit extract (or less) or Stevia to taste
– 1 dash of vanilla extract OR you can scrape out some vanilla bean pod if you have it!
– 1 handful of Krisda sugar free chocolate chips for topping

How to:

1. Melt your coconut oil, then mix all your ingredients together (coconut,coconut oil, yogurt, Xylitol, vanilla extract) except for the chocolate chips and voila! If the batter is not wet enough, melt a bit more coconut oil or add a touch more yogurt.

2. Pour in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and top with the Krisda chips.

3. Place in the freezer for at least an hour and then cut into bars.

These bars last in the fridge for the week and you can keep the rest in the freezer!

Naughty or Nice Recipes to get you Ready for Christmas on CTV Ottawa Morning Live

December 14, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Christmas Naughty or Nice Christmas Recipes

Eggnog

Ingredients
1 can coconut milk, at room temperature, organic is best You can get this at Natural Food Pantry
1/2 cup unsweetened Vanilla almond milk
2 eggs (use organic free run)
1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla if you can find it
1 to 2 packets Stevia or 2 tsps of xylitol
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated if you can!)
1 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:
In a blender, combine coconut milk, almond milk, eggs, vanilla, stevia or xylitol, the grated nutmeg and cinnamon. Blend on in the blender and chill right away. It is BEST served on the same day. You don’t want it to sit around for too long since there are not a lot pf preservative.

Add in a cinnamon stick for a special treat!

2. Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Bark

Ingredients
4 Bars of Organic Dark Chocolate 70% or higher
1/2 to 1 cup pomegranate seeds ( 1 deseeded pomegranate)
1/2 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds

Directions
Melt the dark chocolate on low in a pot.
Mix half the arils of the pomegranate and the seeds into the pot and stir.
Line a pan with parchment paper.
Pour the chocolate onto the parchment and then top it with the rest of the arils and seeds.
Place in freezer for about 30 minutes to fully allow it to harden.
Cut it but you don’t have to worry about it being even at all. Serve right away and eat right away when serving to guests. Store anything unused in the fridge! 🙂

3. Grain Free Stuffing Using Bearbrook Farms Sausages

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, butter or avocado oil
2 Ribs of Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
1 parsnips chopped
1 cup mushrooms chopped (omit if you don’t like mushrooms!)
1 sweet potato chopped finely
1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
2 tsp dried Sage
4 cases removed Wild Boar Sausage from Bearbrook Farms or crumbled wild boar burgers (works with any sausage)
Dash of chicken broth
1 chopped apple
1 tsp each of Salt & Pepper or to taste

How to:
Chop all you veggies celery, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms and sweet potatoes.
Melt butter or oil in a skillet & sauté chopped vegetables until they are soft.
Add crumbled Bear Brook Farm Sausage to the skillet & break apart with a utensil. *Feel free to pre cook the sausages and then peel off the casing otherwise cook in with veggies.
Add fresh chopped rosemary, and dried sage.
As you stir, the juices will absorb into the veggies. Let cook for about 30 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through.
Add a dash of broth to revitalize the flavours.
Once fully cooked add the chopped apple to the top and season with salt and pepper. SERVE!

Almond Flour Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
¾ cup coconut oil, butter or ghee, softened
¾ cup coconut sugar or xylitol (for a sugar-free version)
o Note: the coconut sugar darkens the cookie, the xylitol makes a lighter colour cookie- more similar to regular sugar cookies You can find ALL these sweeteners at Natural Food Pantry
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
2 ¼ cup almond flour
½ cup coconut flour

Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the coconut oil or butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then slowing incorporate into the wet ingredients using the hand mixer.
3. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350F.
5. Sprinkle coconut flour onto a clean surface and roll the dough (with a rolling pin or wine bottle) until ¼ inch thick. You can use parchment paper on both sides to keep things clean. Cut out cookies using your choice of cookie cutters and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Repeat until all the dough is used.
6. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, until golden.
7. Enjoy!

Superpower Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
3 cups of organic cranberries
1 cup water
¾ cups of maple syrup, honey, or xylitol (to make it sugar free)
Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
2. Once boiling, bring down to a simmer and simmer until mixture is thick, about 20 minutes.
3. Use warm, or refrigerate to use later.

Find the segment HERE!

Awesome Autumn Ideas: Pumpkin Blondies and Pumpkin Brownies for Dessert!

October 4, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

If you love pumpkin but don’t know what to do with it, try adding it to baked goods. Pumpkins are anti-inflammatory and tasty, as well as hold zinc content which is great for immunity!

Fall Pumpkin Brownies:

2/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1 cup Cassava Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Coconut Sugar
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Pumpkin Purée
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2.Gently stir together all dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl mix together eggs, pumpkin puree and milk, once completely combined mix into wet ingredients.
3. Grease a 9×13 pan with coconut oil. Pour brownie batter into the pan. Place in oven and cook for 25-30minutes.

Pumpkin Blondies:

1/3 cup Butter
1 cup Coconut Sugar
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Egg
3/4 cup Cassava Flour
1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
1/4 tsp Himalayan Rock Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Cream together butter and coconut sugar
3. Add in pumpkin puree, egg, salt and pumpkin spice. Mix until completely combined.
4. Grease a 9×13 pan with butter or coconut oil. Pour mixture into the greased pan.
5. Put blondie into the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Turnips? Give them a chance. This root vegetable is great roasted, mashed or scalloped!

September 27, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Looking for an easy and simple side? Turnips have B vitamins that are great for our skin as well as oxidative stress AND have immune boosting Vitamin C!! This veggie is a great potato replacement!

Mashed Turnips

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 cups of chopped turnips (about 5 to 6 medium) peeled and diced
• Broth for boiling
• 10 slices of bacon (omit when making a vegan option)
• 1 clove of garlic chopped
• 1 stalk green onions chopped
• 2 tbsp of butter flavoured coconut oil or actual grassfed butter
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

How to

1. Peel and dice turnips is a large pot and fill with water broth.
2. Bring to a boil and let simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes until you poke a knife straight through.
3. While the turnips are cooking, cook your bacon in skillet over medium heat. Cook until crispy and crumble into a bowl.
4. Chop your green onions and garlic.
5. Once turnips are done simmering, drain well.
6. Return turnips to pot and add all remaining ingredients- the coconut oil or butter, the garlic, chopped green onion, sea salt and pepper as well as optional cayenne. Mash to desired consistency. Fold in bacon.

Grain Free Pancakes, with Fresh Raspberries!

July 5, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Looking for a grain free options for pancake breakfasts?
This is a great option to try!

What you will need:

2 overripe bananas
2 eggs
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Coconut oil
(Optional Protein powder)

To make:
Mash your bananas well!
Crack open 2 eggs and whisk well, dash in vanilla extract and some cinnamon and finally one scoop of protein powder if using! Mix well and when the batter is easily scoopable heat a pan on low heat and grease the pan with coconut oil! Scoop a small amount of batter on in little rounds, when they bubble it’s time to flip!!! Adjust heat accordingly but lower with patience is the best, *Pro tip: Wipe the pan off in between pancakes and add in fresh coconut oil!

Easter and all the spoils of Easter!

March 22, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Easter Fun….can be done without the sugar crash

Our own Jen Wright shared some perfect Easter tips with us!
This week end is Easter week end! I just wanted to share the way we handle Easter at our house to help avoid the sugar overload, which comes with this rainbow coloured holiday. First off, I do let my kids have chocolate! I’m not that mean…..but do they need 8 pounds of chocolate in various cute bunny and chick shapes? No, they do not. The fun of the morning is all about the hunt and finding treasures.
Here is what I do…..I have plastic eggs. We reuse them every year. Everyone has their own colours. Before the kiddos head to bed the night before we leave the eggs and baskets on the table in hopes that Mr. Bunny will fill them with fun treats! And guess what, he totally does.
So, this is where we change things up. These eggs get filled with random age appropriate items. When we started it was little fun socks, plastic bracelets, cars, and small toys around whatever theme- Dora, Cars, and Frozen etc. Now they are older and we have progressed to quarters, loonies, toonies, and iTunes cards. I do put out few chocolates, but they get perhaps 10 small eggs in total and perhaps a little bunny. The Bunny also tends to leave a new DVD, movie passes, or spring items such as bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and new sand toys or flip flops.
Another great idea that is happening this year is inside some eggs are going to be clues to some treats that are hidden. So after the eggs are all found, another treasure hunt will happen. Which allows you time to sit, and relax, enjoy a coffee or tea! These treasures don’t need to be large or expensive, just fun. I tend to try and purchase things I know I will be buying anyways, summer clothes, or toys, new water bottles etc.
Happy Easter however you celebrate, enjoy your time with family this weekend!

Crazy Yummy Chocolate Nib Cookies! (Adapted from kitchentreaty.com)

• 3 tablespoons solid coconut oil or grassfed butter (this is important for the chewiness)
• 1 small tsp of stevia or you could use 3 tbsps of honey or maple syrup
• 1 egg ( if you remember take the egg out to get it to room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract but also mixed essence if a lovely treat as well
• 2 cups almond flour * could also ground almonds which is what almond flour is or grind sunflower seeds.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1/2 of Cacao Nibs or Krisda chips. * the cacao chips add a lo

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Add the coconut oil and the sweetener of choice. If the coconut the oil is super hard, microwave for a few seconds until soft Stir briskly with a whisk until the sweetner and oil are mixed together, this requires a little bit of effort. Add the egg, the extract and combine until they mixed well.
In another bowl, put together your flour of choice, baking soda and salt!
Next add in the wet ingredients to the dry mix and stir with a spoon until combined.
Stir in 1/2 cacao chips or chocolate chips! Take the batter and if too dry add a bit of liquid and if too wet add a bit more flour of choice.
With a tablespoon scoop the cookies onto the parchment paper. Leave space in between all the cookies. Bake until they are golden brow, which takes about 10 minutes but check them!
Once golden remove from the oven and let cookie for 10 or 15 minutes before removing them from the rack or they might crumble. They keep well outside of the fridge for 3 days, after that refrigerate them! (If you have any left)