Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins

During the past few weeks I've become well aware of the fact that I'm not great at following restrictions, especially when it comes to food. :) But you know what, that's absolutely OK! Life shouldn't be all about restrictions. It's not about being perfect. It's not about quitting and eating every thing in the house when you have had a tough day. I understand each person has a different relationship with food. But to me, food is there to nourish, strengthen, and enjoy. I don't count calories on a daily basis. Instead I try to eat real, whole foods and eat a variety of colors. I love to cook and try new foods. And with my nutrition background, you can see how this is fun for me. 

With that being said, there are times when I feel my system needs a break from certain foods. The culprit is often sugar, and I'll plan a detox or cleanse where I eliminate the trouble food. Lately, I've also been experimenting with my macronutrient intake percentages to try to determine when my body feels the best. I'm currently attempting to consume less carbohydrates while increasing my intake of healthy fats and protein. I'm not eliminating grains altogether, but contemplating the following ideas:  

• How does my body react after consuming foods high in gluten?
• How satisfied am I after a meal high in carbs vs. one that is higher in healthy fats/proteins?
• Do I crave more sweets when I eat a higher percentage of carbs?
• How does my body deal with consuming different types of meat? 

The general guidelines for macronutrients are 60% carbohydrates, 25% fat and 15% protein. Does this work for everyone? I highly doubt it. We each have to experiment and listen to our bodies to conclude the best combination for ourselves. 

Anyways, while trialing this new way of eating I decided to scour the internet for a tasty muffin recipe that would please not only my carb-craving tastebuds, but also fool my hubby and son into thinking they were eating the same old wheat-based muffins I usually make. I must admit that I was quite skeptical of this flour-less recipe from PaleOMG, but with such an impressive ingredient list, I had to try it. Boy, am I glad I did. These. Are. Gooood. The little one scarfed down his and loudly exclaimed, "Moh Moh" (which means more, for those of you that don't speak baby) before I could even get a picture of mine. Speaking of pictures, I need to remember to purchase a new SD card for my camera. All of my food pics have been with my phone lately.

Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins

by Danielle Anderson

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients (9 muffins)

• 1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 cup worth)
• 1 apple, shredded (less than 1/2 cup worth)
• 1 cup nut butter ( I used half almond and half peanut)
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice ( I substituted pumpkin pie spice)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shred the zucchini (you can leave the peel on, I did!) in a food processor with the shredder attachment, or do it by hand with a cheese grater.
3. Next, you will need to remove the liquid from the zucchini. I dumped my zucchini on a stack of paper towels and squeezed, replacing paper towels as necessary, until no more liquid came out.
4. Place zucchini in a bowl.
5. Shred the apple and toss with the zucchini.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
7. Place muffin mix in greased muffin tin, or use a liner.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean after you poke them.

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Green Curry

We made a vegetarian version of Sarah Fragoso's Pork Green Curry for dinner awhile back. With the past few days feeling more like fall then summer, I have been craving warm, healing meals. Which reminded me that I should share this recipe with you guys. It was easy and didn't require too many special ingredients. I doubled the sauce portion of this recipe and added extra veggies so I could use the leftovers to pack in lunches for us to take to work. The fish sauce, green curry paste, and Chinese five-spice powder will all keep until you are ready to make this recipe again, or try a similar one. We served this delicious sauce  over riced cauliflower sauteed with garlic cloves, Bragg liquid Aminos, sesame oil and green onions. Enjoy!

Green Curry

by Danielle Anderson

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients (4-5 servings)

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 pounds pork loin, cut into bite-sized pieces (We subbed vegetables: zucchini, eggplant, snow peas, and sweet potatoes)
• 3 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons green curry paste, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
• 10 asparagus spears, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• Fresh basil or cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. While the oil is heating, place the pieces of cut-up pork loin in a medium bowl and add the Chinese five-spice powder. Toss until all pieces are coated.
3. Add the spiced pork and saute until all pieces are browned, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables to the pork and saute until they are tender.
5. Remove pork and vegetables from skillet.
6. Add the coconut milk to the skillet; make sure the pan is hot enough that the coconut milk sizzles as you add it.
7. Add the vegetable broth, curry paste, and fish sauce to the coconut milk and whisk together, making sure to scrape up any pork bits and spices as you whisk.
8. Bring to a boil and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Add the pork and vegetables to the sauce and heat through.

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