Let’s imagine you have been working on your diet and doing well. You are working toward a healthy diet and clean eating… even goals like 5k runs and exercise groups or (gasp) even a half marathon. The problem is, you have been told by your …
Having to avoid nightshades is frankly annoying. Back in my pre-Hashimotos days when I was running 20-30 miles per week and cutting whole bags of jalapeños onto every meal I also enjoyed a nice fat burger with mushrooms, blue cheese and hot chips (French fries). …
Eating nose to tail might not be your definition of fun, but with some amazing hacks and tricks, it can be so delicious that even the hubs and suspicious children will gobble it up.
Incorporating organ meats (offal) into recipes is incredibly nourishing, hormone balancing and dare I say, a return to our roots and the best way forward to encourage regenerative farmers who truly are doing the hard work to feed the soil and rejuvenate our planet. I choose grass fed & regeneratively farmed where possible to support the work these amazing folks are doing to ensure a long and healthy future for our children’s children.
These are a family favorite, surprisingly! I didn’t think I’d find the keys to getting my family to eat nose to tail unless the butcher prepared it himself (I think every kid will eat sausages) but these literally got licked up by my husband and kids! The key was to use the dōTERRA culinary oils rather than traditional spices. No hint of liver flavor remained.
Give them a shot and let me know what you think!
xo,
Brenna
Lamb & Liver Ancestral Meatballs
Brenna May
These are a family favorite, surprisingly! I didn't think I'd find the keys to getting my family to eat nose to tail unless the butcher prepared it himself (I think every kid will eat sausages) but these literally got licked up by my husband and kids! The key was to use the dōTERRA culinary oils rather than traditional spices. No hint of liver flavor remained.
1tspof manjistha for spice as well as blood & liver cleansing + lymphatic support
1-2dropsdōTERRA Thyme or Oregano
1-2dropsdōTERRA Rosemary
Instructions
Grind liver + garlic to smooth in food processor or high powered blender (the latter will leave you with a bit more heading to compost)
Add all ingredients to medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly.
Form into balls: I like them to be about double the mass of a golf ball and use a Jenaluca Medium Scoop (1-1/2 Tablespoons) for Swedish sized meatballs, but you can use the Large Scoop (3 Tablespoons) if you prefer a larger, Italian sized meatball. You'll need to adjust baking time if you use the larger scoop.
Bake at 350°F for 30 min or broil for 5 and bake for 20 at 375°F (watch for a darker crust to form on the meatballs). Feel free to sauté them in the pan to start or finish them to achieve a more defined crust.
Serve.
Notes
Pro tip: mix up ingredients the night before and cover, then leave in the fridge to marinate overnight.
Most of us are hopefully conscious about what we eat, but the holidays have a special way of triggering overindulgence and alcohol plays a big role. The holidays shouldn’t be a time for guilt but for joy and celebration! Alcohol can be a vibrant part …
I was really pleased with the results of this pie. It was tricky to be sure to make the cassava flour behave but in the end with my usual tricks it did just fine. It is an offshoot of my Einkorn Apple Pie, but it …
Our beloved apple pie for the holiday season… without the sugar. I have served this up at two holidays pitted against full sugar pies and no one can tell it’s sugar free… and often it is preferred. Feel free to sub the Purecane with Swerve,sucanut, or maple sugar if you like!
Einkorn Apple Pie (No Sugar)
Brenna May
This recipe is an evolution from my mom’s pie crust recipe…. It is influenced by the Irish love of cream and the Scottish love of whiskey. The credit for that actually goes to one Cindy McGregor who once told me she put vodka in her pie crusts… and it really does affect them. The chemical reaction makes for a very easy and consistent dough, and coupled with the sour cream (I often use milk kefir, but yogurt and buttermilk work too) it is a lovely, flaky and almost always perfect recipe. If you are used gluten free or alternative flours as I do the crust can be finicky, so I employ the help of unbleached baking/parchment paper in the process. I always roll out the crusts on parchment paper or a silicone mat with a french rolling pin. I have found it makes pie crusts an enjoyable process rather than one that can ruin a holiday! Makes enough crust for one medium two-crust pie. Serves 8
1cupPurecane, Allulose or SwerveCan sub with a paleo sugar like Sucanut or Maple Sugar if you can tolerate it.
3tbspCleargel
2-3tspcinnamon
Instructions
For the pastry:
With pastry blender or wire mixer attachment, blend butter & sour cream with salt and flour. When mixture is crumbly (don’t let it get doughy), add well-mixed egg-brandy-lemon juice-water mixture. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.
For the filling:
Peel, core and slice the washed apples and set into a medium to large bowl.
In a small bowl, mi the Purecane or other sweetener, Cleargel and cinnamon together and then shake over and toss with the apple slices. Set aside.
Putting the pie together:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Divide dough into two parts.
Roll out first part on a silpat or parchment paper with a bit of flour. When it looks like it will fit over your pie plate, turn the plate over and place it in the centre of the rolled out doe, and flip the whole thing over.
Fill with your apple apple mixture and arrange the slices to avoid compression.
Roll out remaining dough in the same way on the parchment paper, and this time flip the whole thing over onto the filled pie.
Cut around edge of pie creating about 2cm (¾ inch) of overhanging dough.
Taking your thumb and index finger of one hand and the thumb of your other hand, press in the edges of the dough until the whole pie is 'sealed'.
Cut some personalized holes in the top so the pie doesn't explode in the oven.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes hour or until crust begins to brown.
Notes
* To glaze the top, whip another egg and brush over the top of the pie before baking.
Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! What could be better than a Guinness? Well, when you’re keto, maybe a slice of keto chocolate stout cake. This cake was first introduced to me in Scotland and served up by a lanky Swedish man. I’m fairly …
No Sugar, Paleo, Chocolate, Espresso, Nut-free, Keto-Cycling Protein Muffins This is a recipe I have been working on for months, trying to come up with a guilt-free antioxidant and protein rich breakfast muffin. It came out of the time of year when the greens do …
This cake was first introduced to me in Scotland and served up by a lanky Swedish man. I’m fairly certain the originator of the recipe was Nigella Lawson though, at least she is who I consulted for years in making it. It evolved over the years as I became more and more intolerant to wheat and then grains and sugars and I have to say this version is just as good as that first. If you can abide sugars go ahead and use 1 1/2 to 2 cups coconut sugar, but you may need to adjust the coconut flour a little. I call this cake flourless because as it’s made with Guinness it isn’t really grain free. Nor is it Paleo or Keto, but as Guinness has about 8-10 carbs per 12oz bottle that does add to the total carb intake. Let’s be real though, with only a cup in the recipe you are really only looking at an additional 0.5 carbohydrates per serving. No biggie, as long as you can handle grain. I normally cannot but I have found that my tolerance is much better when grains are fermented as in a beer or in sourdough bread or sprouted grains. So tread safely and know yourself but if you think you can handle it then this baby is WELL worth your effort. It makes a dense cake that I love best frozen, frosting and all. If you want it more dense and fudgy; I find the best trick is to turn up the heat a bit after you’ve whipped in the eggs thoroughly and let the batter “cook” a wee bit before pouring in the pan. Or you could just pour in that whole bottle of Guinness. Hey, for a beer it is pretty amazingly healthy. It is full of prebiotic fiber and it is high in iron and relatively low in calories. Don’t believe me? Read this. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup Guinness (I have used both draught and stout. The draught is milder and the stout is stronger)
3 large humanely raised eggs (for vegan try subbing with 3 Tbsp ground chia in 9 Tbsp water. Or for fun you could stir it into the other half of the Guinness!)
Cheesecake pan. I use Fat Daddio. Normally I do this in an 8″ pan but for this I used two 5×3 inch Fat Daddio’s so I could save one for my Birthday next week. Very convenient!
½ cup heavy whipping cream or 1 cup milk kefir cream (heavy cream cultured with milk kefir grains)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180°C, and butter and line an 8 inch cheesecake pan with parchment paper. I love these pans because I can pop out the bottom, place it on the parchment paper and slice around it with a sharp knife for the perfectly lined pan. I cut the parchment for the sides a bit taller so I can “overfill” the pan and get the cake a bit taller.
Pour the Guinness into a large wide pan and then add the butter. Heat until melted then whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
Whisk in the milk kefir and then crack the eggs in one at a time, whisking them in vigorously.
Add the vanilla and whisk in the baking soda.
Last of all sift in the pea protein or arrowroot followed by coconut flour.
Pour the cake batter into the buttered and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or 40 minutes for two smaller pans like the one shown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. I will sometimes pull it out of the pan and pop it in the freezer for a stint to make frosting easier.
While it is cooling, we deal with the icing. Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla, stevia and allulose and whip to combine.
Now if you are using kefir cream you will want to carefully add it in a bit at a time to keep the consistency smooth. You can get away with a cup as opposed to the heavy or whipping cream. If you whip it too hard it will curdle because it is already cultured to thickness and is just a step from becoming a lovely cheese and whey.
If using heavy cream, add it in slowly and whip until you have a light but spreadable consistency. I will sometimes need to fold it in with a spatula. Whipping cream can behave a bit differently and it is best to whip it to soft peaks first and then combine it slowly.
You can choose to make this dairy free by coconut cream and coconut butter together but as it is not very Irish to do so I have not tried it. I would recommend beating 1 cup coconut cream with 1/4-1/2 cup coconut butter and adding the vanilla and sweetener and whipping until combined.
Spread the icing over the top of the cake only so it resembles the head of a freshly poured pint of Guinness.
Keto Guinness Cake
Brenna May
A gorgeous keto chocolate guinness cake. It has hints of gingerbread and a glorious bittersweet chocolate fudgy texture. Feel free to sub the guinness with a gluten free stout for a fully gluten free cake.
Cheesecake pan. I use Fat Daddio. Normally I do this in an 8″ pan but for this I used two 5×3 inch
Saucepan
oven
Parchment paper
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
1cupGuinnessI have used both draught and stout. The draught is milder and the stout is stronger
2sticks16 Tbsp Kerrigold butter
¾cupunsweetened cacao powder
1cupallulose
1/4cupchicory fiber sweetener
15drops liquid stevia
1/2cupmilk kefircan sub sour cream or cream of coconut
3large humanely raised eggsfor vegan try subbing with 3 Tbsp ground chia in 9 Tbsp water. Or for fun you could stir it into the other half of the Guinness!
1tbsppure vanilla extract
1/2cupcoconut flour
1/4cuppea protein1 scoop can sub collagen peptides or arrowroot
2tspbaking sodaif using cream of coconut, add 2 tsp cream of tartar
FOR THE ICING:
8ouncescream cheese
1/4cupallulose
5-10drops liquid stevia
2tbsppure vanilla extract
½cupheavy whipping cream or 1 cup milk kefir creamheavy cream cultured with milk kefir grains
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180°C, and butter and line an 8 inch cheesecake pan with parchment paper. I love these pans because I can pop out the bottom, place it on the parchment paper and slice around it with a sharp knife for the perfectly lined pan. I cut the parchment for the sides a bit taller so I can “overfill” the pan and get the cake a bit taller.
Pour the Guinness into a large wide pan and then add the butter. Heat until melted then whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
Whisk in the milk kefir and then crack the eggs in one at a time, whisking them in vigorously.
Add the vanilla and whisk in the baking soda.
Last of all sift in the pea protein or arrowroot followed by coconut flour.
Pour the cake batter into the buttered and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or 40 minutes for two smaller pans like the one shown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. I will sometimes pull it out of the pan and pop it in the freezer for a stint to make frosting easier.
While it is cooling, we deal with the icing. Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla, stevia and allulose and whip to combine.
Now if you are using kefir cream you will want to carefully add it in a bit at a time to keep the consistency smooth. You can get away with a cup as opposed to the heavy or whipping cream. If you whip it too hard it will curdle because it is already cultured to thickness and is just a step from becoming a lovely cheese and whey.
If using heavy cream, add it in slowly and whip until you have a light but spreadable consistency. I will sometimes need to fold it in with a spatula. Whipping cream can behave a bit differently and it is best to whip it to soft peaks first and then combine it slowly.
You can choose to make this dairy free by coconut cream and coconut butter together but as it is not very Irish to do so I have not tried it. I would recommend beating 1 cup coconut cream with 1/4-1/2 cup coconut butter and adding the vanilla and sweetener and whipping until combined.
Spread the icing over the top of the cake only so it resembles the head of a freshly poured pint of Guinness.
We love coconut flour around here. It is not an inflammation causing grain and as you only use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup compared to standard flour or almond flour it is relatively inexpensive. My favorite Is Bob’s Red Mill but I have been known …