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As I am writing this I am curled up on my couch drinking green tea, the wind is blowing gusts and the fire is flickering. There is so much cozy going on right now, and I love it! The last couple days I have been making delicious soups and skillet cornbread. There is just something so comforting about cornbread when it is baked in a cast iron skillet. Am I right? So let me tell you, this is not your typical cornbread! It is a golden delight, perfectly paired with any fall soup or stew. Most cornbread recipes include refined wheat or gluten-free flours and are loaded with sugar or sweeteners. Not the ideal combo when it comes to nourishing a good gut microbiome. My recipe uses old fashioned rolled oats and grated apple instead to keep it nice and moist. This swap not only increases the fiber content but also increases the nutrition density as well. Both oats and apples are rich in soluble fiber, while the corn flours are rich in insoluble fiber. This balance is wonderful for digestive health, increasing stool bulk, speeding up transit time, and feeding good gut bacteria. It also helps increase satiety, keeping you full for longer. Plus, the apple (along with the honey) adds a light but healthy sweetness. Apples are also a rich source of polyphenols, powerful anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that act as prebiotics. As with all my recipes, it's gluten-free too (and happens to be dairy free as well) making it a wonderful side dish to share with friends and family. To make this recipe I suggest visiting the BULK section of your local co-op to stock up on the different flours and oats. Are you ready to get your fall cozy on? Then whirl up this delicious cornbread in less than 45 minutes. No bowls required, just a high speed blender and a cast iron skillet. And if you don't have one, then use a 9x13" glass baking pan instead. Whole Grain Harvest Cornbread Serves 8-10. INGREDIENTS 2 eggs 1 cup milk (any kind) 1 medium apple, grated with peel ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup raw local honey 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sea salt 3/4 cup organic old fashioned rolled oats 3/4 cup Bob's organic medium grind cornmeal ½ cup Bob's organic golden masa harina 1 tablespoon baking powder DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees and oil or butter a 12” cast iron skillet. I like to melt a pat of butter in the skillet before pouring in the batter. Place all the ingredients, expect the baking powder into a high speed blender (I use a BlendTec) and blend until smooth. Finally, add the tablespoon of baking powder and pulse a few times until evenly dispersed. Gently pour the mixture evenly into the oiled/buttered cast iron skillet and place into the preheated oven. Bake until golden brown for 25-30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting with a knife. Serve warm with a pat of butter. You can easily reheat a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds or alternatively pan-fry a slice in butter. Note: This recipe is moderately high in fructose due to the honey and apple content. To reduce the fructose content, swap the honey for maple syrup. Then each serving is considered low FODMAP. What are your favorite fall foods?
Happy Baking! Selva
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October. The month of foggy mornings and bluebird afternoons, brilliant yellows and orange, and home baked goods with seasonal fruit. I don't bake as often as I used to. But being German I love apple cakes, much more than apple pie. So I decided to use delicious apples to make an Apple Lemon Cake. I wanted to use oats as part of my recipe instead of just premade gluten free flour mixes. The oats give the cake more moisture, more fiber, and more nutrition. I also LOVE lemon. Therefore, I added plenty of lemon juice and lemon zest. If you want it even zestier, taste test the batter before adding the baking powder and see if you want even more. Sometimes I even add a teaspoon of rum extract, if I am feeling extra groovy. Although, I typically stick with gold ol’ fashioned butter, you are welcome to replace the butter with olive oil or coconut oil. The flavor profile will change, but it will still be tasty. Keep in mind that my recipe calls for salted butter, so make sure to increase the sea salt by ¼ teaspoon if your opting for the dairy free version. The big beauty of this cake is how quickly and easily it comes together. Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender, top with apple slices, and put her in the oven! No beaters, multiple bowls, etc needed here. A good microplaner and grater will come in handy however. If you don't have apples on hand, pears work well too. So if you want aromas of apple, vanilla, and lemon wafting through your house, then by all means, try this delicious, lighty sweet, German apple cake. And please, top it with HOMEMADE whipped cream. It’s worth the extra effort. Apple Lemon Cake Serves 12 INGREDIENTS 2 large apples ¾ cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 stick salted butter, melted ¼ cup milk (any kind) Zest and juice of 1 ½ lemons 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup Bob’s 1:1 all-purpose gluten free flour 4 teaspoons Rumsford baking powder DIRECTION Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of an 11” springform cake pan. Meanwhile, grab a small bowl and pour the sugar into it. Top it with the lemon zest and rub the zest into the sugar. This helps release the essential oils. Set aside for now. Grate 1 large apple (I used Honeycrisp) leaving peel on (measuring ~ 1 cup of grated apple). It will leave behind a lot of juice, save this. Now core and slice the second apple into thin slices, and drizzle with a squeeze of lemon to keep from browning. You will be using these slices to evenly fan out on top of the cake. Set aside. In a high speed blender (like BlendTec or Vitamix), add the grated apple and all its juice, lemon zest infused sugar, eggs, melted butter, milk, juice of 1 ½ lemons, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Then add the rolled oats. Blend on low for about 60 seconds. Finally, add the gluten free all-purpose flour, and blend another 15 seconds. Once the mixture is smooth, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of baking powder in at a time through a fine mesh sieve (or loose leaf tea strainer), and pulse until incorporated. Repeat until all the baking powder is gone. Evenly pour the mixture into the buttered baking pan, and top with apple slices, fanning in three layers. Place into oven and bake for 60-65 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve with homemade whipped cream. Notes: You can easily replace the butter with ½ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil if you want to keep this recipe dairy free. Simply increase the sea salt from ½ to ¾ teaspoons. Apples can be replaced with pears as well. Happy Baking!
Selva It’s pouring sideways rain here in Bellingham, the perfect weather for a light pumpkin soup. I have been yearning for the Fall and all the bits of cozy that comes with it. Although I love salads, soups are a wonderful way to eat your veggies while also supporting digestion. Raw veggies are one of the hardest foods to digest, especially if you are not taking the time to chew them well. Therefore, soups can be an excellent meal for anyone struggling to optimally digest their foods. Soups are much easier for the stomach to breakdown because the ingredients are soft and tender. This is especially true if you make a pureed soup like this pumpkin soup. Usually, the stomach churns our food with stomach acid to make a liquidy soup called chyme. However, when the food is already pureed, the stomach has little work to do. Therefore, soups are a wonderful meal for anyone who has increased healing needs or has digestive concerns because the nutrients are much easier absorbed. For this recipe I used a pie pumpkin (or otherwise known as sugar pie pumpkin), but you can choose whatever winter squash you have on hand. I also used homemade bone broth, rich in flavor and nutrition. I do not skim the fat because the fat provides flavor and increases the absorption of the beta-carotene in the pumpkin flesh. If you are using store bought bone broth (Bonafide is a great option) it is fat free, and therefore I would suggest adding organic heavy cream or full fat coconut milk to your liking. Bone broth is an excellent choice to increase the protein content of otherwise a low protein meal. Rich in collagen, bone broth helps support the healing and repair of connective tissues (think, gut lining, bone, tendons, hair, skin, nails). Along with ample amounts of prebiotic fiber rich onions and garlic this pureed soup also supports the growth of good gut bacteria. If you want, you can even roast the pumpkin seeds for little salty and nutritious snack. Simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees, rinse the seeds under water to remove excess pumpkin fibers, and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and your choice of spices. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Voila, now you have a nourishing soup and a tasty snack! Simple Gingered Pumpkin Soup Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 1 small pie pumpkin (got mine at TJs) 1 large yellow onion 3-4 cloves garlic 3 inches ginger root 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups homemade bone broth (see note above if using store bought) 2-3 T honey 2 T apple cider vinegar 3/4 tsp sea salt (adjust as needed) Fresh ground pepper Pinch chili flakes DIRECTIONS Quarter the pumpkin, scoop out seeds (roast if desired), and place into a pot filled with some water and a steamer basket. Steam, covered, over medium heat for about 15-20min or until tender. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion, garlic, and ginger. In a soup pot add a glug of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the chopped veggies over medium low until glassy and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the steamed pumpkin flesh (leave skin behind), and add the bone broth. Cover and cook over medium low for another 10 minutes. Once ready, using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your liking. Season with honey, vinegar, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Note: If you want to keep the recipe vegetarian, simply use vegetable broth (may need to adjust salt down because most store bought vegetable broths are pre-salted), and add coconut milk or heavy cream for creaminess and flavor. Happy Fall,
Selva |
RecipesI hope you enjoy my creative, flavorful, and nutrient dense approach to whole foods cooking. All recipes are gluten free. Archives
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