Apple Raisin Carrot Cake Bites (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free)

This past weekend, I celebrated Easter with a few family members at a small, yearly get together.

I decided to be the healthy one and baked some nourishing (yet tasty) treats to bring along. I thought that even if no one else touched them, my grandmother and uncle would.

They obviously weren't beautiful, but they went to Easter lunch all the same. 

I am SUPER proud of my grandmother and my uncle, who decided to cut out gluten and sugar from their diets a month or so ago. This is a BIG step for them... they both use to eat the stuff day in and day out! Neither of them were feeling very good... my grandmother also has a skin condition that was simply getting out of hand.

Despite the fact that I had suggested gluten and sugar may be a problem years ago... they just now decided to give it a try. Oh well, better late than never!

Anyways... they both tried them, as well as a few other people. They were a hit! My grandma is still getting used to the "mouth feel" of non gluten items, but my sugary treat loving uncle was ecstatic to eat something "bread like" after leaving it behind cold turkey! Gotta love that :)

Apple Raisin Carrot Cake Bites
Makes 20 or so muffins

DRY:
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup GF oat flour (I grind my own)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 large carrot, grated
1 small apple, grated AND diced
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 TSP baking soda
1/2 TBSP cinnamon
TSP clove
sea salt
1/2 TSP NuNaturals Stevia power **
walnuts (optional)

WET:
1 can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/3-1/2 cup almond milk (adjust as needed)
TSP vanilla
TSP apple cider vinegar
2 droppers full of unflavored NuNaturals Stevia **

** You could replace the Stevia with 1/3 cup honey, molasses or maple syrup. Just reduce the almond milk.


Mix together your dry ingredients, all except the apple, carrot, raisins, and walnuts if you are using them.

Crack your eggs and add them to the bowl. Also add in your pumpkin. Mix until there is no clumps left. If you need to use your almond milk, do so.



Stir in the rest of the wet ingredients. Fold in the grated and diced produce and once that is incooperated, add the raisins and optional walnuts.

The batter should be thicker than the usual muffin or cupcake batter. You may have to "spoon" in your batter into muffin tins lined with paper muffin holders (oh my gosh. Is there an actual name for those things? Total blonde moment right here.)

Bake in the oven on 375. I baked mine for around 25 minutes, but it is very important to check every 5 minutes or so after the 15 minute mark to see how there are doing.

What did you eat on Easter, if you celebrate?

What is you favorite GF treat?

Natalie

All About QUINOA! Pecan Raisin Quinoa Salad: Vegetarian, Vegan

ON A SIDE NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT THIS IS MY 100TH BLOG POST!! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED ME THE PAST TWO YEARS. 

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO READS CLEAN EATING TEEN!

Hey there Clean Eaters! I apologize for my absence this past week, with the holidays. I hope your Christmas (if you celebrate that) was fun, safe, and joyful.

After these crazy holidays, I'm sure many of you want some time to relax and just detox. I think today's recipe is perfect for that!

I don't know how you chose to balance out the holiday treats. I personally did my best on staying on track during the holidays, making healthy versions of sweets. Thanksgiving I did indulge with a slice of home made coconut cake, but other than that everything had been normal eating for me nutritionally!

Many people over-indulge during the holidays due to the abundance of food, sweets, and alcohol. This is probably why come January 1st, the top item on most resolutions lists is to get healthy!



But like I and anyone else who is participating in the No Excuse November Challenge with me... why start in January when you can start RIGHT NOW? Thanksgiving is over with. Christmas just passed. What is holding you back?

If you remember from my Thanksgiving recap, I posted a picture of my meal.



The above is pictured with some turkey, but the yummy looking stuff underneath is today's recipe!

Let's be honest here. I have a serious love for carbs... at least, the healthy kinds!

I LOVE quinoa. I have used it in previous recipes, it is the star of this one... and I am sure it will be used again soon!

Here are some stats on the super grain:

• Quinoa gives a lot of bang for its buck. For only 222 calories per cup of cooked quinoa, it gives over 8 grams of protein! 
• It actually is not a grain. It is related to dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, and is allowed in most Paleo life styles. 
• It is gluten free.
• It is a complete protein, having all essential amino acids. 
• Quinoa is high in manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. 

Thanks Marks Daily Apple for these facts !

Pecan Raisin Quinoa Salad

Serves 3-5

1/3 cup dry quinoa
3/4 cup+1/2 cup vegetable stock, unsalted
1 small onion, diced
1/3 bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup chopped mushroom
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 small sweet potato, chopped and cooked (boiled or roasted) with skin
1/3 cup unsweetened raisins
1/3-1/2 cup shelled pecans (bits and halves)
TBSP coconut oil
1/2 TBSP herbs de province
TSP thyme, dried
2 TSP cumin
2 TSP garlic powder
2 TSP chili powder
pinch of salt

1) Bring 3/4 cups of stock and 1 TSP of cumin, garlic, and chili powder to a low boil. Add the dry quinoa and let it simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. Set the pot aside.

2) Chop all your veggies, then melt your coconut oil over medium high heat. Saute the veggies (not the sweet potato) for about 3 minutes.

3) Add in the rest of your seasoning, as well as the quinoa and any leftover liquid. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

4) At this point, toss in your raisins and your pecans. Stir in the rest of the stock.

5) Turn the heat down, and add the sweet potato. Cover the mixture and let the flavors meld together and the liquids to be absorbed for a few minutes.

6) Serve and enjoy!

I ate this salad hot, but it would also be fantastic cold. You could add some wilted spinach or kale if you wanted too!

Try this super detox salad and tell me how you feel after! Even if you aren't really "detoxing" per say, this is still a super easy meal or side dish.

How are you detoxing after the holidays?

Natalie 

Recipe!! Quinoa-Lentils and Squash- Vegetarian Friendly!

Hey there guys! 

So for two past WIAW, I had some yummilicious Lentil-Quinoa stuff. I couldn't decide on a name, but I decided on "Quinoa-Lentil" as one word, not two. Clever name or not, this stuff is AWESOME. 

Don't let the longer list of ingredients frighten you either. It really is not that much, and if you don't have the variety of squashes I had, just replace it with what you do have! 

As you know, I ADORE quinoa. I really love how the lentils and the quinoa create a nice, thick consistency. You would think this would end up runny (which it can, if you use too much liquid), but usually the two absorb the water and it turns out wonderful.

Similar to a recipe from quiet a while ago... though this time it doesn't have meat, and includes quinoa and a different method of preparation! 

Quinoa-Lentils and Squash 
Serves 4 

1 cup lentils, dry
1/4 cup quinoa, dry
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 pattypan squash
2 small zucchinis
1 medium yellow squash
1 large tomato, diced
handful leafy greens (spinach or kale work best)
2 bay leaves
2-3 springs fresh rosemary, optional
1/2 small can of unsalted tomato paste
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP Chile powder
1 TBSP cumin powder
Sea salt to taste
Dash of cayenne, optional
5 cups water or unsalted stock, plus more as needed
1-2 TBSP coconut or olive oil

1) Chop up your celery, onion, carrot, and mushrooms.

2) Heat your oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Toss in the veggies, and saute for about 5-6 minutes.

3) Add your dry quinoa and let it toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

4) Add your 5 cups of liquid and your lentils. Mix in the spices, bay leaves, and rosemary. Bring to a low boil and cover.

5) In the meantime, chop up the rest of your veggies (aka the squash and tomatoes!)

6) After the lentil mix has been simmering for around 20 minutes, add your other veggies. Most of the liquid should be absorbed but not all of it. Add more liquid if needed.

7) Cover for another 15 minutes. Add more liquid at this point, usually around a cup. Stir in the tomato paste and again cover until the squash is tender.

8) Turn heat on low and add the greens to wilt.

Pretty easy if I do say so myself. And tasty... oh so tasty.

What have you been eating?
What ways to you use lentils, or quinoa?

Natalie

Fall Saute Stuffed Acorn Squash- Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Dairy and Sugar Free

From my last post with WIAW, you saw my delicious acorn squash... I had leftovers of the recipe I am about to post.

My goodness,  I LOVE acorn squash. You can do so much with it! Saute it, make it sweet or savory... my person favorite it just to bake it in the oven. However, maybe that is because I have yet to TRY it any other way... I need to be more adventurous next time I prepare one.

Whats even better, is that fall is right around the corner, so these babies are in season! I have been seeing them at the farmers market when I go each weekend. Local+In season+Tasty+Healthy= Awesome.

Anyways, when I was at the farmers market last, one of the nice ladies mentioned I should try grating some of the squash I bought and sauteing it. You know, kind of like "noodles" I will use it in a "pasta" recipe for sure, but for this meal, I just decided to combine the two ideas (shredded squash with well, more baked squash...) and YUM! The textures are nice and the flavors float well together.

Anyways... on to the food!

Saute Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 2 

1 medium acorn squash
1 medium carrot
2 medium zucchinis
1 cup shredded or thinly sliced cabbage
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup unsalted stock
2 TBSP coconut oil
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
3-4 TBSP unsalted tomato paste


1) Bake your acorn squash, wrapped in foil, in a 450 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until its soft and some juices have escaped.

2) Grate them veggies up (not the onion)! This is really fun to do, actually. Its crazy how much mass three little veggies create. It's awesome to watch the pile grow! I placed my shavings into a bowl as I proceeded.

3) Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat in a pan. Saute your onions until tender, then toss in grated veggies.
Saute for about 5-7 minutes.

4) Toss in your spices and tomato paste, and add the stock. Stir until combined, and the paste thins out slightly. Cover, and turn down heat.

5) Cut open your acorn squash, remove the seeds (if wanted), and stuff with your veggies. Enjoy!

This recipe was not only super fun, but REALLY crazy easy.

You can even get the kiddos to help with this one. It's an easy way to get them to eat their vegetables when they are helping cook, plus it always helps when the food looks pretty! :)

What are some ways you use acorn squash?
How do you get your kids involved in the kitchen, and how do you get them to eat healthy?

By the way... I think I may start leaving off the names of the recipes of the pictures of them. What do you think?

Natalie

HEALTHY Brownies?! Naturally Sweet...Sugar free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Flourless

You read that RIGHT. "Healthy" and "Brownies" in the same title... how can this be?

A while back I remember reading something about brownies made out of black beans. My initial thought was, well, probably what everyone's was..."What the heck?!"

After many recipe readings and reading reviews, however, I decided to give it a shot. Most everyone was saying they tasted great, and heck, I am always up for a challenge in the kitchen.

That being said, I REALLY wanted to health-ify this recipe up. I do not eat sugar, so I knew using any would be out of the question. I don't even use stevia, so that made things even trickier! I turned to my trusty friend, the beloved dried date, for my all natural sweetness.

My best friend Taylor spent the night last night, so I kind of made these especially for our movie date! She also is a health nut, so using black beans in brownies came as no surprise to her. She makes healthy desserts frequently and loves trying new things, so I already figured she would dig these... but boy, I still was surprised when she chowed down on nearly half the pan!

No worries there, chicka. These babies are protein packed, and honestly guilt free. Plus my sister and mom did not want any... I am glad she loved them so much, otherwise I would have been tempted to eat the whole thing myself! ;)

I really wanted something that was going to be delicious, fudgy, sweet... but nutritious too. I read many different variations before finally coming up with one that worked for me! So yes, people... you are reading this correctly, no need to rush to the eye doctor.

A HEALTHY, GUILT FREE BROWNIE IS POSSIBLE.

Healthy Brownies
Yields 9 small brownies, one small-medium pan 

15 pitted dates
1 can black beans (I actually used black soy beans)
1/2 cup 100% cocoa powder
1 TSP baking powder
2 TBSP vanilla extract
1 TSP nutmeg
1 TSP cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

1) Preheat your oven to 350. Soak the dates in warm water for a few minutes.

2) Place the dates, the beans, and the cocoa powder in a food processor and blend until smooth.

3) Add in the remaining ingredients, besides the walnuts, and blend until mixed.

4) The mixture should be very thick and fudgy. You do not want little specks of bean or date in the mix, so make sure they are blended smooth before transferring your mixture into a relatively small-medium sized brownie pan. I used a rubber spatula for this.

5) Smooth down the mix so that it is evenly spread. Top with walnuts, if desired.

6)  Cook in the oven for about 35 minutes, checking to make sure it does not burn. You may have to leave it in longer... you want it to feel slightly firm, but the sides should not be burnt.

NOTE: I nearly died when I first took these out of the oven, I thought I had burnt them!! Turns out, the top layer turns nearly black while cooking. This has no effect on the flavor what so ever, and the texture of this 'layer' is not crisp or anything.

My mom had a hard time eating these brownies once I told her the main item was beans... so maybe you shouldn't reveal your "secret ingredient" to just anyone. Let it be something personal to the chef! ;)

I only used 10 dates in my recipe, but that is because I am used to no sugar so 10 was plenty for my sensitive taste buds. If I were to make them for anyone else, I definitely would use 15-20.

I also would love to point out how thick this brownie mix is! I expected it to be different than store bought, but this surprised me. It was already fudgy and delicious before cooking! Usually, the boxed stuff you buy is really liquidy.

Anyways... you have seriously GOT TO TRY THESE OUT. I am sure you could also find a healthy icing recipe (perhaps I will create one soon?), or you could just do what I did... top it with some all natural peanut butter and sliced strawberries, and call it a day. YUM ;)

Whats the craziest "secret ingredient" you've heard of?
Any favorite desserts you have- or wish you could- make healthy?

Natalie

Simple Shrimp Cocktail for Summer: Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Paleo Friendly

Growing up, one of my favorite restaurants to go to was a seafood place/oyster bar called "Aw Shucks".  The venue is small, and most seating is outdoors. I always was fascinated by the fact that you went inside (if you want to call it that- basically it is just where the cooks are!) to order your food, and when it is ready for you to get it, they call your name on a over speaker. Such great memories!



Image via awshucksdallas.com 

An absolute STAPLE item that we always got was their shrimp cocktails. Such yummy things... baby shrimp mixed with fresh chunks of avocado, tomato, and cilantro, all in a wonderful tomato like juice. They were INCREDIBLE. So fresh, it seemed like you just wanted more and more.

Eventually we asked how they made their cocktails, and found the ingredients to actually be REALLY simple. My parents were overjoyed to be able to make one of our favorite things right at home! Since becoming healthier, there are a few items which I replace with better choices when I choose to make these. For example: for their cocktail "juice", they included ketchup (probably the kind from the store, full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup).

I thought these recipe would be rather fitting due to the yummy shrimp recipe I just posted! It is so simple, and the ingredients are actually quiet minimal in relation to the HUGE flavor it gives!

Simple Shrimp Cocktail for Summer
Yields 4 servings 

• Eight large shrimp, cooked and broken into small bite size pieces 
• 4 TBSP tomato paste 
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 avocado, diced 
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/3 medium onion, diced 
• Pinch of salt and pepper 

1) In a large container, combine the tomato paste with the lime juice and water, and stir until liquidy. Add a bit more water if needed.

2)Combined the other ingredients into the container and carefully mix with a large spoon.

3) Dish out your cocktail in individual glasses, and enjoy! 

What are some of your favorite recipes using shrimp?
Do you have special memories with a certain restaurant, or food?

Try this recipe out and tell me what you think!

Natalie

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Shrimp...Paleo, Dairy Free, Sugar Free

One of my favorite things about summer is the ability to grill out! I guess you could grill out in the winter, if you wanted to freeze your booty off running to and from the grill and house... but what's the fun in that? The beauty of summer cook outs is the nice weather (or is there ever nice summer weather in Texas?!), the smoky smell of the food, and the company you can enjoy the outdoors with.

I have cooked out a few times since the weather has been warmer, and again planned to yesterday. A friend of ours just gave us a few pounds of fresh shrimp caught by the coast... I couldn't wait to cook it up! Even though I really love seafood, I almost never have the opportunity to eat it. so this was exciting!

I knew I needed to utilize my herb harden outside, so I came up with a marinade and ultimately, this recipe! Enjoy...

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Shrimp 

So delicious and light. It really is perfect for summer!

3 springs fresh rosemary ( You might be able to get away with a TBSP of dry if you dont have fresh)
Juice of 1 lime
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb fresh medium-large shrimp

1) Prepare your ingredients for the marinade!

2) Place your shrimp in a bowl near the sink and start de-veining and unshelling them (unless yours were bought with this already done)
Discard the vein and shell in a bag and place the fresh meat in a separate bowl.

3) Place your dry marinade ingredients in the bowl with your shrimp meat, and squeeze the lime juice over it.

Cover, and place in your fridge to marinade for about 4 hours (or overnight).

Now, here is when things went a bit awry for me. I guess since the hibernation months of winter (read: no grilling!), our gas tank for the grill has ran out. I found this out the hard way yesterday... walked outside, tried to torch that baby up... and after a few tries, I realized it was a lost cause. 

So there I was, marinated raw shrimp in hand, and no grill to grill it on! So what does this girl do?

This girl improvises, that's what. 

I had a bit of cleaning up to do afterwards (nothing bad), but the shrimp were fully cooked and honestly there wasn't TOO big of a difference... 

I actually do not know for fact if cooking these via stove top is hazardous in any way, so if you know more about why it could be bad, let me know. I did not see a huge problem with it, and no food got under the burner so I think everything was fine? 

Mmm. Look at those "grill" marks. I know, i'm so talented. 

But really, this recipe is super easy, and really tasty! Go ahead and try it out (hopefully you can use a real grill...) and tell me what you think.

Have you ever had to improvise when cooking?

What are your favorite ways to enjoy seafood?

Natalie  

Protein Packed Banana Walnut Pancakes ! Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Paleo, Flour Free

Perhaps I should have named these "ugly cakes" instead of "pancakes", just because the result didn't exactly look beautiful... however, these guys redeem themselves with their taste. Not to mention they are FLOUR LESS!

I got inspiration for this recipe by browsing around Pinterest . As a huge fan of simple recipes, this caught my eye... but when I saw that one of the main ingredients were eggs, I was a bit confused. Sweet omelets? Not really up my ally... but never the less, I gave it a try!

Now, cross my heart, you can not taste the egg at ALL in this! It does give it a more fluffy texture, but the nuttiness of the walnuts and the sweet banana really take lead here. I'm proud to be able to say that I'm getting in 12 grams of protein (before I even added my almond butter on top!) while my taste buds are thinking otherwise.

Super easy, healthy, and fun. Here we go!

Banana Walnut Pancakes 
Single Serving 

2 eggs
1 banana, yellow-ripe
1/2 TSP cinnamon
1/2 TSP nutmeg
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 TSP vanilla extract (optional)
1 TSP coconut oil (for cooking)


 1) Combine all the ingredients into a medium bowl and mash! There will be a few small chunks of banana, but that just makes it more fun to bite into.

















2) Heat coconut oil in pan until melted, then pour in mixture. You can either do this in smaller batches to form individual pancakes... or, do what I did, and dump the whole thing into it at once and break the large pancake apart once cooked. I know, i'm lazy creative.

3) These cook pretty quickly. I tried to use that rule my grandmother always said, that when you start to see bubbles from the other side of the pancake it is time to flip. I would just watch to see how yours is doing, and probably flip after about a minute or so.











4) Plate your lovely things (hopefully yours come out a little prettier than mine!), and enjoy with whatever
-healthy- toppings you desire! Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Being the nut-butter fanatic that I am, I of course topped mine with almond butter. (I HIGHLY recommend this by the way... the creamy, stickiness of the butter is so delicious with the fluffy, banana pancake!)

Almost like a banana loaf, or cake! Almost. ;)

So easy and yummy! Try it out, and tell me what you think.

How and when do you usually eat your pancakes?
What other recipes would you like to see?

Please feel free to comment, message me or share! :)

Natalie

Pumpkin Walnut Raisin Bars! With ALMOND BUTTER! Paleo, Dairy Free, Sugar Free

Ohhhh. The sweet, sweet goodness of pumpkin.
With walnuts.
AND RAISINS.
Did I mention the fact that I just combined all these into a delicious, HEALTHY bar? I guess I could call them a breakfast bar, because I usually eat them as my first meal of the day. They could easily be used for a snack or healthy dessert though! I feel they are just sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth and keep you a happy camper without going over board on the sugar content, even though all sweetness in this recipe comes from natural sources.

But I havnt even told you the best part. Sure, the sweetness of the pumpkin and raisins mix fantastically with the savory taste of walnuts... but when you put ALMOND BUTTER on these babies? Man oh man.

I make these pretty frequently, and find that adding in some shaved carrot gives it an even nicer crunch. It is super easy to make with hardly any clean up, and quickly cooks (leaving a great aroma in the air, might I say!).

This is another example of the AWESOME items that are featured on my meal plans from Natalie Wester: Holistic Meal Planning. Check out my services and message me for more information So, drum roll please... here's the recipe for these guys... who, by the way, are Paleo friendly :)

Yields 6-8 bars
1 15 oz can pumpkin (be sure it isnt pumpkin pie filling)
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup walnuts, crushed
1/4 cup raisins
1 medium carrot, shaved
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 TSP baking powder
1 TSP cinnamon
1/2 TSP nutmeg
1/2 TSP ginger
1/4 TSP clove
1/2 TSP vanilla extract
1/3 cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)

1-2 TBSP almond butter (or other nut butter of choice) for serving

1) Preheat oven to 350
2)Combine pumpkin, almond milk, eggs.
3) Add the coconut flour, baking powder, spices, raisins, walnuts, and mix well, making sure there are no annoying "patches" of dry ingredients.
4) Mix the shaved carrot and vanilla in.
5) The should form a more of a "dough" rather than a liquid-like batter. It should be easy to transfer it into a cooking pan (a medium sized brownie pan should work fine).
6) Bake for about 45 minutes, or until top is firm and a fork/toothpick comes out clean.
7) Let cool, then cut a bar in half. Place the nut butter on one half and top with the other half. Enjoy!

I usually just cover my pan with foil, and it lasts about a week in the fridge.