Paleo Gingerbread

Here's one of my favorite holiday recipes. I try to mix it up between the 'traditional' baking and the 'healthier' options. This paleo gingerbread is incredibly rich and moist with many Christmas flavors in it - it fills the house with the smells of orange, ginger and cloves. It's amazing. The recipe is a little complex with the number of ingredients but is really simple to make.
 
Paleo gingerbread

1 large orange
1/2 cup candied ginger
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups almond meal
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon each ground ginger, cloves and allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
*1/2 cup plain full fat yogurt (OPTIONAL! If you are a strict paleo use 1/2 cup applesauce and add a 1/2 cup more almond flour)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare 8 x 8 inch baking pan by coating lightly with oil and dusting with flour. Set aside.

Cut orange in half. Squeeze juice from full orange and reserve in 1 cup measuring cup. To orange juice add molasses and vanilla. Add enough yogurt to make one full cup. Set aside.

Place orange rinds in bowl of food processor along with ginger, dates, cranberries and walnuts. Pulse until chunky paste results. Set aside.

In medium bowl measure flours, baking soda and powder, sea salt and spices. Mix together well. Set aside.

In large bowl combine eggs, honey and coconut oil. Beat well for 3 minutes. Add yogurt/orange juice mixture and beat another 3 minutes.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in processed fruit and nut mixture and gently mix until just combined.

Pour mixture into prepared 8 x 8 baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Test cake with toothpick to make sure it is baked all the way through.

Remove from oven and let cool before cutting.

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Christmas treats get a VEGAN/Paleo revamp....so yummy and guilt-free

After finishing a really hard and dedicated fitness and nutrition regime I decided I wasn't going to ruin it over Christmas by allowing excess sugars, flour and unhealthy fats back into my life, so I decided to swap out a few holiday treats for healthier version. I got this idea on Pinterest, and just changed a few ingredients around to get these amazing little vegan cheesecakes that look AND taste scrumptious. Seriously, these are such a hit, and the fact that you can create your own flavors to satisfy those different cravings and family members is a real bonus. My husbands comment was 'why are they so small', meaning he was hoping for a larger portion (awesome!). The lemon zest really gives it a nice zing. The consistency is between a cheesecake and mousse. It is quite light.

For the crust:
-1 cup raw almonds
-1 cup dates (soaked 10min in hot water then drained)
-pinch of sea salt

throw all ingredients into food processor and turn on high until the nuts form a meal and the whole thing starts to form together - if it's too dry, add extra dates of a little water. Press 1 Tbsp into greased muffin tin lined with a strip of parchment (so that you can pull the tabs to remove them later)

For the batter:
-3 cups unsalted cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
-3/4 cup coconut cream (put a can of full-fat coconut milk into the fridge overnight, open and remove the firm cream - keep the coconut water for another use like a smoothie)
-1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup of vegan)
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-juice of one lemon (squeezed)
-zest of one lemon
-pinch of salt

Put all into the food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Pour the batter onto each crust. Now the fun begins - select your flavor. You can use raspberries, blueberries, peanut butter or caramel. I tried a little of everything. For caramel, you can make your own or use store bought - add 1 tsp and swirl it through. For peanut butter use natural and add 1 tsp and swirl through gently. For Blueberries I put a few frozen berries into the batter and swirled through. Now put them into the freezer to set (at least one hour). Remove using a butter knife and store in a tupperware in the freezer and use as needed. Can serve frozen OR thawed for 10 min. ENJOY!!
The original recipe/idea was taken from this Pinterest recipe.

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Peanut Flour Goodies! High protein cookie and smoothies.

I have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen with some of the goodies I recently ordered online (I will post my source in an upcoming blog). I love playing around with new naturopathic ingredients! To start, I want to share with you my recipes with High Protein Peanut Flour. This product is basically peanuts that had the fat content roasted off and therefore is a high protein nutrient boost that can be used in the place of flour (cookies, bars), to make your own peanut butter (just add 1-2 Tbsp water to 1 Tbsp peanut flour) or into smoothies (1/4 cup has 16g of protein!!). This stuff tastes great, and I love that it is a great alternative for grains in paleo recipes!
This weekend I made the kids a smoothie:
1 banana
2 Tbsp Cocoa Cardio (More info on this in my next post!)
4 Tbsp Peanut Flour
2 cups Coconut Almond Milk (I love this stuff - comes in a 2 pack at costco, just the right sweetness for smoothies and baking!)

Blend it all up and drink! Tasted a lot like chocolate milk to be honest, and it wasn't overly peanut-y

Next I made these amazing high protein Peanut Butter cookies - great for an afternoon snack or post-workout. Paleo approved and kid approved!

Mix the following in a bowl:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey or agave or maple syrup (sweeten to your preference)
1 egg (this is optional - the flax will bind it if you add a little water or milk alternative)

the dough is pretty firm. Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min.

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Black Bean Brownies - Naturopathic, Paleo goodness!

We're known for showing off our baking at the clinic, and when Dr. Sarah brought in her adzuki brownie's last week it reminded me that I should dust off my own recipe. These brownies are high in fiber, protein, antioxidants, healthy fat and are grain free and vegan! And yes, the kids seemed to really like them (asking for seconds is a good sign). Here is my version:

Put the following ingredients into your blender:
1 ripe banana
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 can of rinsed black beans
(option: if you have a great blender, you can add a full raw beet, peeled, into the ingredients. This takes the nutrition to a whole other level - I did so in the picture you are seeing and it gives it a bit of a reddish hue, such as a red-velvet cake would! the cocoa masks the beet taste!)

Blend until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.

In another bowl mix 1/3 cup ground flax, 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1/2 cup dark cocoa, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla (optional 1 tsp cinnamon). Pour liquid mixture into your dry ingredients incorporating gently. Optional - add in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or carob chips at this point.

Pour into parchment lined 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake at 400C for 45 min.

Once cool, top with a thin layer of icing:

1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup honey. Let it cool and pour over brownies. Once you refrigerate this icing will get hard because of the coconut oil.
OPTION: instead of the icing melt some dark chocolate overtop.


Enjoy!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Chia Seed 'Tapioca' Pudding - Naturopath approved!

This is such a simple, tasty and healthy recipe that is gluten/dairy/grain-free and a hit with the kids and entire family! This qualifies as a paleo dessert if you are following this sort of diet. High in fiber, omegas and moderate protein from the chia seeds, this is both a wonderful dessert OR mid-day snack.
1 can coconut milk (or 2 cups of milk substitute such as almond milk - omit coconut water in this case)
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp Honey (or sweeten to taste)
option - grate peel of 1/2 lemon

Mix in a glass bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hrs or overnight. Serve topped with fruit if desired!
 



Enjoy!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Birthday Cake alternative!

We celebrated my father's birthday this past week, and I wanted to surprise him with something tasty and healthy (he is one of the healthiest eaters  I know). So I made one cake entirely out of fruit (the 3 tiers are cut out of watermelon, and then decorated with fruit inserted onto toothpicks, and several skewers of fruit stuck into the top tier). It turned out beautifully. This is true clean eating, and would pass the 'naturopathic' stamp of approval!

I also made another 'real' cake, but I made it egg-free because my dad has a sensitivity to egg. I decorated it with dark chocolate and chocolate covered strawberries, which is still decent in terms of health concerns yet fairly indulgent!

They were both yummy, and it was interesting how the kids loved picking apart the fruit cake!

I think this type of cake makes a nice gift for any occasion, and is nice to bring to BBQ's!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Amazing dessert...and Healthy too!

Ok all you ice cream lovers, this ones for you. When I saw this recipe in 'Best Health' magazine I didn't believe it but I thought I'd try it. I gave away my magazine before I had a chance to write down the exact measurements, but it turned out amazing. Here is what I did:

-Cut up 3 ripe banana into large chunks and freeze
-take out the bananas and put into a food processor
-add approximately 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup almond milk (or coconut milk or other substitute), and a couple tablespoons or maple syrup or agave syrup.
-blend until smooth and serve.

This tastes just like a rich chocolate ice cream with a hint of banana. I am going to try different variations next time, like adding strawberries or blueberries. This dessert will satisfy the biggest skeptic!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND.
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Vitality for Life is an integrative health clinic in Barrie, Ontario. We offer the services of a Naturopathic Doctor, Chiropractor and massage therapists.
Follow us on facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @NaturoDoctor

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Cinnamon Buns

I recently came across a cinnamon bun recipe in a magazine, and tailored it to up the fiber. These came out great, and were even gobbled up by my husband who supposedly 'doesn't like cinnamon buns'. Kids LOVED them, and they are low in sugar, so they make a great snack. You can even play around with the type of flour you use - next time i'll try spelt and buckwheat I think. These are great to have on a cold day!

Cinnamon Buns

Dough:
2.5 cups Whole Wheat flour
1 cup whole oats
¼ cup ground flax seeds
1 TBSP baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup cold butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond milk (or other milk alternative)

Filling:
¼ cup brown sugar
4 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins or mix of chopped dried fruit
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Add milk (may need to add a few more TBSP. if it’s too dry). Transfer to floured surface. Knead with floured hands gently until it’s pliable. With a floured rolling pin (or hands) work into a 10x16 inch rectangle. Spread the topping over entire surface except a 1 inch border along the length. Roll into a long log, sealing the seam. With serrated knife cut into 1 inch rolls. Transfer each roll (lay flat) to a buttered 8 inch square pan. Bake at 400 for 40 min.

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND.
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Vitality for Life is an integrative health clinic in Barrie, Ontario. We offer the services of a Naturopathic Doctor, Chiropractor and massage therapists.

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!