Our garden is over flowing with strawberries right now. I needed to find a recipe to utilize 3 cups of strawberries and something that was great to take with me for a quick snack for the 2 births I have coming up. Being pregnant as a Doula at births is no joke and getting hungry or worn down isn't an option. I knew I needed to make something that was sweet but not too carb heavy and wouldn't spike insulin, leaving me more hungry. Muffins are always great for births. You can eat them quickly, they don't need to be warmed up, they don't smell offensive to moms AND bonus if your mom wants to snack on one while in labor! You know she is getting home made, nutrient dense yumminess! Paleo recipes are my go to for baking. They are always lower carb, using coconut or almond flour which has more protein and fiber, keeping you more full! They usually also call for a lot of eggs which helps add to their filling nature with protein and keeps your blood sugar level. I found a chia seed recipe last year and saved it. So simple. I knew at least that part would turn out ok. I found a basic paleo muffin recipe and thought lets swirl these and pray they turn out ok! Sure enough they did. I had a cup of chia jam left over and canned it for later! Here is the Strawberry Chia Seed Jam Recipe: Ingredients: -3 cups of strawberries -2 TBSP Chia seeds- if you want thick jam go for 3 -1 TBSP lemon juice -1.5 TBSP maple syrup Directions: 1. Pulse the washed and trimmed strawberries in a food processor. 2. Add in chia seeds, lemon and maple syrup and hand stir. 3. Set aside for muffins, you can store the leftovers after! Feel free to make more and store it for later! Last year I had double this! Chia seeds are a super food. They are protein and fiber so they sure do keep you full. I know this jam will go in yogurt, on all the GF bread with almond butter, pancakes and will top off these muffins while they last!
Now for the muffins! Paleo Muffin Recipe: Ingredients: -1/2 C coconut flour -1/4 C tapioca flour -1 tsp baking soda -1/2 tsp salt -4 eggs -1/3 c coconut oil melted or grass-fed butter -1/4 C maple syrup -2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 and line muffin tin with parchment paper cups 2. In a mixer combine coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda and salt. 3. In a separate bowl beat eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. 4. In mixer combine the wet mix to the dry. IF the batter seems to dry/thick you can add in 1-2 TBSP milk/milk alternative. I added it for mine. 5. Now this was a bit of trial and error. Fill the cups in this order. 1 TBSP batter (covered the bottom) then 1 TBSP chia jam, THEN another TBSP batter. This should fill the cup a little more then half way. I used a fork to swirl the jam and top batter layer a bit. Some of them I added a bit more batter on the top and think that turned out a bit thicker, which I liked. 6. Bake muffins for 18 min. OR until a tooth pick in the center comes out clean. I think I went more like 20 minutes. 7. ALLOW them to cool for about 10 minutes. Of course they are best same day but are actually really good the next day cold with some chunky almond butter and a bit more chia jam! The next day I got ANOTHER 3 cups of strawberries from the garden and will be planning another baking session soon.
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We just spent 3 weeks traveling through Europe. I miss the authentic Gelato, the amazing pastas and the German soft pretzels but I think my biggest craving was the lemon desserts. So coming home I knew I had to find a healthy lemon dessert recipe. All we ate for treats in Italy were lemon; lemon pie, lemon tarts, lemon fill croissants....essentially lemons were in abundance and once I had a taste I couldn't pass up an opportunity to try a new lemon dessert! Normally I eat whole foods based. I don't eat processed foods, gluten or dairy. We eat our farm eggs, local organic/grass fed beef and make it a priority to eat organic/non GMO foods. I was really happy to be able to eat a wide variety of foods on our trip and still feel good (despite pregnancy symptoms). Now that we are home and I can't eat gluten or processed dairy I was determined to find a "paleo" recipe for lemon pie/lemon tart. Here is what I came up with and it did not disappoint. I doubled this recipe half way through baking because I wanted to freeze half, knowing PREGNANCY cravings! On my vacation I gave myself very little restriction for a few things. One YOLO, I'm on a once and a lifetime vacation so I'm gunna eat! Two, I am pregnant and on this trip I was in my first trimester. Eating whatever sounded ok was the main goal. With nausea and constant hunger with no real appetite, I ate what didn't sound terrible most of the time. Three, we walked 5 -10 miles a day so I wasn't too concerned. Four, moderation. Yes I ate what sounded good but we shared a lot of good food but I with no restrictions I didn't feel the urge to binge eat like I would have in the past. Last but not least, FOOD QUALITY! Europe doesn't fortify their grains with folic acid like in the states so for my MTHFR gene mutation I was not at risk eating grains like I would be here. Also we were in small towns so everything was made locally and very fresh. It really makes the food situation here look REAL bad. Normally I eat whole foods based. I don't eat processed foods, gluten or dairy. We eat our farm eggs, local organic/grass fed beef and make it a priority to eat organic/non GMO foods. I was really happy to be able to eat a wide variety of foods on our trip and still feel good (despite pregnancy symptoms). Now that we are home and I can't eat gluten or processed dairy I was determined to find a "paleo" recipe for lemon pie/lemon tart. Here is what I came up with and it did not disappoint. I doubled this recipe half way through baking because I wanted to freeze half, knowing PREGNANCY cravings! Mini Lemon Pies! Ingredients: Crust- *1/2 C coconut oil (or grass fed butter) *2 eggs *2tbsp raw honey *3/4 C coconut flour (or cassava flour) Lemon filling- *2 eggs *2 egg yolks *1/3 C raw honey *1/2 C fresh lemon juice *zest of 2 lemons *1/3 C coconut oil (or grass fed butter) *a pinch of salt Instructions: Crust- 1. Preheat oven to 400 F 2. Mix ingredients for the crust with a fork. Then add coconut flour slowly and mix until dough starts to form. 3. Grease muffin tin and flour your hands to be able to pick up dough and press into the muffin tin. 4. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork make for about 9 min or until the edges of the crust are golden. Remove from the oven to cool. Lemon filling- 1. While the crust bakes start the lemon filling. Ina small pot, whisk together eggs, honey, lemon juice, rest, coconut oil and salt. Heat on medium- low. 2. Whisk it constantly until it thickens, about 8 minutes. 3. Let it cool a bit and strain the filling with a fine metal mesh strainer. This gets out any egg white chunks. 4. Pour the mix into eat individual pie crust. 5. Let it cool slightly and place in the fridge for an hour to set. ![]() Tip: When you are ready to enjoy your mini lemon pie top them with Cocowhip from So Delicious! Yes, dreams come true. There is a dairy free whip cream that tastes amazing but doesn't have the same CRAP in it that Cool Whip does. Don't be fooled by another dairy free whip called True Whip. The ingredient list makes me cringe! |
AuthorI am a Doula, Childbirth Educator and Primal Health Couch. Essentially I am a women's health nerd. I have struggled with Autoimmune issues for the last 10 years, and more recently fertility issues. This along with my birth work, has driven me to self research. I have added a blog to my site in hopes of giving resources to clients or those interested in these topics. I would love feedback and comments. Categories
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