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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) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root 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, maple syrup, and grated ginger root. 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. May use honey in place of maple syrup for sweeter flavor. Just remember, 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.
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Avocado Egg Salad BABY FORK MASHABLE
This recipe comes together super quick, especially if you have some leftover cooked egg white from the Thai Carrot Baby VEGGIE BLEND. Simply mashing avocado and hard boiled egg (or just egg white), makes for an easy nutrient dense meal high in fat and protein. Serve with a FRUIT BLEND or a VEGGIE BLEND for a balanced meal. This recipe is best for 8+ months, or when your baby is able to swallow chunkier textures. It also makes a delicious snack for mom! Makes 4 servings Time: ~ 5 minutes Age: 8+ months INGREDIENTS 1 peeled hardboiled egg (or 3 cooked egg whites leftover from the Thai Carrot recipe) 1/2 large avocado Pinch salt and pepper Sprinkle dulse granules DIRECTIONS On a large plate, using a fork, mash the hardboiled egg or egg whites until desired consistency is reached. On the same plate mash the avocado with the fork and mix together with the egg. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dulse flakes. Store in a glass mason jar. Note: Use the mixture within 48 hours. Nutrition Facts (per serving): 50kcal, 4g fat, 1.6g carbs, 1.2g fiber, 2g protein. Banana Strawberry Cream BABY FRUIT BLEND
This tasty combination is always a hit with babies. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries depending on the season. Please always choose organic strawberries because conventional strawberries are one of the top 10 most heavily laden pesticide produce items. Makes 10 Servings Time: ~15 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 medium ripe banana 1-10z package organic frozen strawberries (left at room temperature to thaw a bit) 1/4 cup grass-fed organic heavy cream 2 teaspoons chia seeds DIRECTIONS Place the strawberries and banana into a food processor and pulse until desired texture is reached. Keep it smoother for new eaters, and leave some texture for more advanced eaters. Add the chia seeds and heavy cream. Pulse to combine. Transfer to a baby food freezer tray and freeze. Once frozen transfer to a sealable ziplock bag or mason jar. Pull out as needed and thaw overnight in fridge or quickly microwave ~15 seconds. Make sure to feel the mixture before serving to make sure it didn't get too hot. Tip: You can mix this into cooked oatmeal or into whole milk yogurt if desired. If you transfer some into a silicone teether, then you have a baby fruit popsicle! Nutrition (per serving): 45kcal, 6g carbs, 1.2g fiber, 2.5g fat, 0.5g protein. Note: You may use substitute the heavy cream for 1/4 cup organic canned full fat coconut cream but you need to add 2 teaspoons of coconut oil to ensure similar fat/calorie content. |
RecipesI hope you enjoy my creative, flavorful, and nutrient dense approach to whole foods cooking. All recipes are gluten free. Archives
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