Harvest Cranberry Baby FRUIT BLEND
Apples and pears are often found in baby purees. However, you will not find one with cranberries and ginger. Exposing your baby at a young age to new and different flavors is important. Cranberries can be very tart, but if you add a handful to naturally sweeter fruit like apples and pears, you can gradually introduce your baby to this nutrient dense berry. Although the collagen powder is optional, it is a great way to add easy to digest protein. Make sure to use organic fruit. 

Makes 10 Servings
Time: ~20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 medium apple
1 medium pear
20 cranberries
1 small piece peeled ginger root
Juice of 1/2 orange
2 tablespoons Great Lakes Hydrolyzed Collagen (optional)
2 tablespoons salted grass-fed butter

DIRECTIONS
Rinse off and dry the apple, pear, and cranberries (make sure to choose firm berries). Core the apple and pear and cut into quarters. Place a metal steamer basket into a medium pot and fill with water to just below the steamer basket. Add the apple, pear, and little piece of ginger root. DO NOT add the cranberries yet.  Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.

Once at a boil reduce heat to medium and steam for 12-15 minutes or until very tender. Finally, add the cranberries and steam for another minute. Remove from burner and transfer the fruit with a large spoon to a food processor. Chop the ginger into small pieces and add to fruit. Process until smooth (its okay if there are tiny pieces of skin). Add the orange juice, collagen, and butter. Pulse until combined. 

Transfer to a baby food freezer tray, cover, and freeze. Once frozen transfer to a silicone ziplock bag or glass mason jar and keep frozen. 

To thaw simply remove one serving and leave in a bowl in the fridge overnight or quickly microwave for 15-30 seconds. Prior to serving make sure to test the temperature to make sure it is not too hot for baby.

Tip: Toren loves it plain or mixed in whole milk Nancy's yogurt. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 48kcal, 2.5g fat, 6g carbs, 1g fiber, 1.5g protein.

Raw Cranberry Chutney
Today I am going to share with you a healthy alternative to your traditional, highly sweetened, cranberry sauce. The first difference is that it is raw—allowing all the powerful phytonutrients and enzymes in cranberries, which have been touted with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, to stay intact and work together synergistically. When heated, processed, and mixed with a lot of pro-inflammatory sugar, the health benefits of cranberries decreases. Keeping the cranberries raw, allows you to benefit from all their health promoting compounds! Secondly, I only use maple syrup as a sweetener, and only ¼ cup, reducing the typical sugar amounts by ¾ or more! And thirdly, I add freshly squeezed orange juice, zest, and optional spice to the mix, creating a zesty and bright raw cranberry chutney. The trick to this recipe is time. The longer it marinates in its' own juices, the more developed the flavors become. I recommend making this recipe in advance and storing it in your refrigerator at least a day before you using it. Make sure to choose organic cranberries and oranges to reduce pesticide content. 

Makes about 2 cups
Time: ~ 10 minutes or less

INGREDIENTS
12 oz fresh organic cranberries
1 organic orange, juice and zest
1/4 cup maple syrup (or more to taste - see note)
1/8th teaspoon sea salt
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (can replace with a little deseeded jalapeño)

DIRECTIONS
Rinse cranberries and strain. Pour onto a clean kitchen towel and pick out any soft cranberries. Add the fresh cranberries into a food processor. Process until finely minced. Be careful not to process it too much, because then it will become too soggy. Pulse in the orange juice, zest, and maple syrup. If you want to add heat, do so now. Season with a pinch or two of sea salt. Transfer into a glass jar and store in refrigerator for up to one week. 

Note: Most cooked cranberry sauce recipes call for 1-1 1/2 cups of sugar! Adjust sweetener to your liking. However, this chutney gets more flavorful with time. Therefore, taste it the following morning to see if you really need to add more sweetener. Tastes great tossed in salads, in wraps, sandwiches, or along with your Thanksgiving turkey. A little goes along way!

Reference: 
​http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=145. Accessed November 24, 2019.

Creamiest Alfredo Sauce
This Alfredo sauce is the bomb! Everybody loves it. And guess what, it is dairy-free, egg-free, nut free, and gluten-free making it very allergen friendly. Plus, it's loaded with veggies...but your kiddos (or picky eaters) would never know. It is also naturally low histamine if you choose vegetable broth and  I like to pour this sauce over pasta, roasted veggies, or steamed potatoes. It's so delicious, I am sure you will find other ways to utilize this sauce. 

Serves 6
Total Time: Less than 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 medium head cauliflower
1 medium leek
4 cloves garlic
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
1/4 cup (or more) veggie broth - can substitute with water or bone broth
​

When the 15 minutes are done, use a fork to test the doneness of the cauliflower. It should be fork tender. Turn off heat, remove lid, and allow to cool a few minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Transfer the steamed veggies* to a high powered blender (I used a Blend Tech). 

To the veggies add the canned coconut milk, nutritional yeast, juice of 1 lemon, salt, and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Add the optional chili flakes for a little spice. Blend on high until smooth. Add the veggie broth or additional liquid, and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is silky smooth. Now it's ready to be served!! 

Keep leftovers in a glass container in the fridge. Reheat over the stove top or in microwave. You may need to add another splash of broth or water to thin to desired consistency.  

*Note: I usually discard the main portion of the cauliflower stem.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 170kcal, 13g fat, 11g carbs, 4g fiber, 5g protein. ​