Grain-free Granola Crunch

This recipe has been post long-overdue, and I feel guilty for not sharing it sooner. I always make sure to have a nice-size jar of this ready made in my cupboard. It’s a handy ‘trail-mix’ snack to chuck in a ziplock bag and take on the go, or you can enjoy this for breakfast with some homemade creamy caramel almond milk on top for a treat! It’s super low carb too, with only 6g carb per serve, so perfect if you’re on a low carb thing. Lately, I’ve been finding myself sprinkling this on top of homemade ice cream, and most recently used this as a topping for my dairy-free Vanilla Yogurt and Blueberry Parfait…oh. my. goodness. SO GOOD.

Grain-free Granola Crunch

Dietary Info: GF/DF/SF/PA/V and Vegan! (*see notes at end of post for dietary codes)

Serves 14
Serving size: 50g

Ingredients:

• 1 c. (200g) Almonds, roughly chopped
• 80g unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 c. (50g) sunflower seeds
• 1/4 c. (50g) pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 c. (50g) macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1/4 c. (50g) walnuts, chopped
• 2 Tbs. sesame seeds

To mix in after baking:

• 3 Tbs. honey + 1 Tbs. boiling hot water
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
• 2-3 heaping Tbs. (16g) LSA Super Fruits, or ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• sea salt to taste
• 100g sultanas

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (160C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all chopped nuts, seeds and coconut.
3. Spread in an even layer on un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes,  stirring occasionally until starting to turn golden in color. Remove from oven and transfer toasted nuts and seeds to large mixing bowl. (leave oven on).
4. In a small bowl, combine honey with boiling water and vanilla bean paste and stir well to combine.
5. Mix wet mixture into the large mixing bowl with nuts and seeds and stir until all dry ingredients are covered with honey mixture.
6. Add ground LSA (or flaxseed), cinnamon and sea salt (I used about 1/4 tsp. salt for this recipe). Toss well.
7. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and return to oven for 15 more minutes, stirring halfway to make sure it doesn’t burn.
8. Check granola for dryness. If nuts and seeds are lightly golden but still a bit moist with honey mixture, turn oven fan on and heat off and crack the door. You can leave in for another 15 minutes so mixture has a little more time to dry. (I don’t mind mine on the more toasted side as you can see.)
9. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
10. Once cooled, toss in raisins. Transfer to jar that can be sealed for easy storage, and enjoy however and whenever you wish!

Nutrition facts per 50g serving: Calories 211, Fat 20, Carb 6, Protein 5

Special Dietary Needs:

Gluten Free/Grain Free = GF
Dairy Free = DF
Sugar Free = SF
Paleo Approved = PA
Vegetarian = V
Low Carb = LC

The above codes for specific dietary requirements will be found under each recipe title

Dairy free Vanilla Yogurt & Blueberry Parfait

One of the hardest things for me to give up on my new and revised healthy eating plan, was dairy. I love dairy so much. I love cheese — every kind of cheese, but especially goat and sheep feta, parmesan and mozzarella! My usual breakfast before giving up dairy was Greek yogurt topped with honey and fresh fruit, and sometimes with a sprinkle of granola on top (not the grain-free kind) — that was my fave. I didn’t give up dairy because I think it’s bad for you, I literally thought that I’d give it a ‘trial run’ to see if I felt any better after eliminating it from my diet, and to my surprise (and maybe a little dismay) I felt way better. So much better in fact, that I haven’t actually felt like I’m missing out on it! Cam still eats cheese on a daily basis, so it’s not like I don’t have a huge stash of it in my fridge, but just knowing how much better I feel when I don’t eat it, takes away the craving for me!

I have thought lately though, that it would be fun to try and make a dairy-free “yogurt” — not only for me, but for all of you other dairy-free eaters out there…so this morning, I gave it a try. Guess what? It worked! Here it is, my dairy-free AND grain-free “Vanilla Yogurt & Blueberry Parfait”!

Raw Chia-flax Power Porridge

This is the first grain-free porridge I’ve made since giving up the grain, and contrary to what you may think – it’s actually packed with flavor. I use the Sun Warrior Vanilla RAW Protein powder in this recipe, which almost makes it taste like a vanilla custard or pudding…and the texture of the chia seeds are pretty awesome.

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

This recipe, like many of the recipes I share with you, was a total experiment. I haven’t done the grain-free thing for very long, actually it’s a new thing I decided to start at the beginning of the year, and so far I’ve stuck to it like a champ. It turned out being pretty easy for me to make the switch (I was gluten-free before) and I haven’t really missed them at all…but the other morning I woke up with pancakes on my mind. Nice, moist, fluffy pancakes. I decided to take on the challenge, so with the few simple ingredients I had on hand, the amazing “Pumpkin Protein Pancakes” were born… these are incredibly moist, fluffy, and soooo delicious!!! You’d never tell that these are gluten and grain free, paleo approved, dairy free, and sugar free too!!

Cam and I devoured our pumpkin pancake stacks and both decided this combo is our new favorite breakfast (which is why we had it again this morning). The homemade almond cookie butter drizzled on top may seem like an odd combo with the poached egg and pumpkin pancakes – but be brave and try it for yourself…the combined flavors are simply amazing.

The Farmer’s Grain-free Muesli

I am so excited to share this recipe with you… it’s been a very long while since I’ve enjoyed a bowl of muesli for breakfast ~ especially since cutting out grains (including oats) from my diet. To be honest, I think I actually accepted the fact that it was just something I had to say goodbye to for good. Don’t get me wrong — since cutting out grains from my diet, I have felt so much better, and my stomach no longer feels like it’s working overtime trying to digest the food I put in. I feel healthier, and I actually don’t really even miss it. However, I did wake up this Sunday morning, feeling like a having real traditional “farmhouse” style breakfast.

When I was little, our family of 8 lived on a huge farm of 350+ acres in the country-side of Tennessee. This is where my five sisters and I were raised, learning to plant our veggies from seeds — I remember the excitement when my sisters and I would first discover the tiny seedlings in our garden sprouting up for the first time.

Pumpkin Pie Batter Protein Shake

Ok, I’ll admit – I’ve been on somewhat of a “pumpkin” craze lately… and this is the third morning that I’ve made yet another version of my “Pumpkin Pie Spiced Smoothie“! Don’t get me wrong, that one was good – really good, but the last couple of times I’ve made this I’ve been on a mission to create a pumpkin pie batter – like, the real deal. Consistency, taste, everything – in a protein shake. This morning, it magically happened. I can’t even wait to post this, I’m so excited by the outcome, and would love for you to try it and leave feedback and let me know what you think! This was seriously outta this world, and could very well cure me of my “hot breakfast” habit – I don’t think I’d get tired of this! Not to mention, it’s way better for you than actual pumpkin pie (100% raw, no sugar, healthy fats as opposed to the bad ones, high in protein and an excellent source of natural fibers, vitamins and minerals!). 

Baked Egg in Avocado with Chili Flakes and Lime

So for the last couple of weeks, Cam (my hub) and I have been doing a cleanse/detox – Brett Elliot’s Ultimate Herbal Detox to be precise. And believe it or not, it has actually been a really enjoyable experience! Don’t get me wrong, there were not-so-fun parts about it, like swallowing 20 herbal pills in the morning and 20 at night (yes, that’s 40 pills in one day)…but all said and done – it definitely did the job. I feel completely cleansed inside and out. Apart from loosing 5-6 lbs, (and the obvious things herbal cleanses do that I won’t mention here), my skin is glowing, my tummy feels much more at ease and overall my energy has increased.