Pumpkin Muffins

As the seasons turn, I'm finding my tastes are adjusting as well. I'm craving things like yogurt and squash a lot more, and I'm making stews and kale salad as fast as I can, because we keep eating it all up!

Earlier this week, I had researched pumpkin muffins and found 4 or 5 recipes that were in line with what I was looking for (gluten free, sugar free). This morning, I'm ready to create! I am looking at all five recipes and coming up with my own amalgam. Here's what we came up with:

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 coconut flour (generously full)
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. pumpkin spice
2 T. PB2
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:
1 c. canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 banana, smushed
1 t. vanilla
2 T. maple syrup
1/4 c. butter (you could use coconut oil, too, but I like butter flavour for this kind of recipe)

Preheat 350 and line and/or grease a dozen muffin cups.
Mix dry ingredients
Mix wet ingredients
Mix dry with wet.
Bake 20 minutes.

Next time, I might add chopped pecans and perhaps some finely shredded carrot.

Raw Tacos

So, after mentioning it 3 times in the last week, my husband finally wore me down! I made raw tacos tonight.   This recipe can be prepared with a blender, but it goes so much easeir with a food processor.

There are two recipes and then a list of ingredients to make the tacos

Taco 'Meat'

1/2 c. sundried tomatoes
1 c. walnuts
1/4 t. cayenne

1 t. chipotle powder (can use plain chili powder if you can't find chipotle, but you should really try to find    chipotle)

1 t. cumin

1/4-1/2 t. salt

1) Let sundried tomatoes soak for 30 minutes in hot water. Drain well.

2) Put everything in the food processor and pulse until the consistency of ground beef, or something you like. If you do it too long, it starts to get pasty, so go easy on the pulsing.

- - - - -

Cashew Sauce (raw version of Sour Cream) 

I'm still perfecting this one, so check back for updates

1/2 c RAW cashews

juice of 1/2 a  lemon

1/4-1/2 c water

1/2 t. dill

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. apple cider vinegar

1) soak raw cashew in water for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain well

2) Put soaked cashews in the processor and pulse a few times to get the pieces uniform. Then turn on and start drizzling water through the emulsification hole and watch until it's the consistency you want. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.

Putting it All Together

Taco boats are made using romaine leaves. I like to use the following as toppings:

• Tomatoes and avocadoes, in small chunks and mixed together
• red onion
• finely shredded carrot
• sliced olives (not 'raw' so if you are trying to go strictly raw, leave these off)
• sprouts for filler

In search of the perfect energy bar

As many of you know, I've been working on perfecting the Perfect Energy Bar recipe for the better part of the summer. It's autumn now, and I think I'm getting closer. A big thank you to Matt at www.nomeatathlete.com for the matrix that is the basis for most of my experiments.

Of course 'perfect' all depends on your own personal tastes and moods, but this is what I came up with today:

• ½ cup red lentils, cooked in 1 c. water
• ½ cup, packed pitted dates
• ½ cup PB2
• ½ t. stevia sweetener (or equivalent - I used 40 drops of Sweet Leaf Vanilla Creme)
• 1 t. of almond extract
• ¼ t. allspice
• ¼ t. ginger
• ½ t. cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ cups of rolled spelt
• 1-1¼ cup hemp protein powder
• ½-1 cup water
• ¼ cup brewer's yeast
• ½ cup stir-in currants
• ½  cup mini-chocolate chips

1. In a food processor, process the dates until they're small and mushy.
2. Add each of the following one at a time: beans, then binder, stevia, extract, spice, and salt until smooth.
3. Add the oats and dry base ingredients and pulse just to combine.   If the consistency seems spreadable, you’re good.  If it’s too dry, add 1/4 cup of water; if it’s too runny, add an 1/4 cup of the protein powder.
4. Add stir-ins and pulse again just to combine. 
5. You can either form 12-15 mini bars or you can spread mixture into a greased 13×9 pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, less if you cook in the bar form, more if you're using the pan method

Baingan Bharta

This is a great side dish, or can be used as omelette filling or, as my personal trainer likes to do, added to butternut squash soup. Try it over rice if you want.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 t. cumin seeds
• 1 t. mustard seeds
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 c. peeled, chopped yams
• 1 c. chopped zucchini (optional)
• 1 1/2 t. grated ginger
• 1 1/2 t. crushed garlic
• 1 T. spicy curry powder
• 1 can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 t. fresh minced jalapeno chile pepper
• 1 t. salt (optional)
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
3. Prep all your vegetables while the eggplant is cooking. When Eggplant is done, remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
4. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
5. Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomatoes into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt  (optional). Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Stir in yogurt.  Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Calories: 124

Carbs: 24g

Fat: 2g

Protein: 5g

Sugar: 8g