Spriralized zuchinni noodles

Veggie Pasta with Pesto Sauce *Gluten Free*

We all love pasta, especially us Italians!  Pasta is one of my favorite foods in the world.  Most people haven’t tried their pasta with pesto which means their missing out on an amazing flavorful experience. This healthy recipe is a great runner up to a traditional pasta pesto dish.

I decided to make this strictly vegetarian. When I saw the already spiralized noodles at Whole Foods Market staring at me in all it’s colorful grandeur, I knew I had to do something yummy with them. I mean the vibrant orange of the butternut squash, and the green of the zucchini and the orange of the carrots, were calling my name. I knew my pesto pasta was the best way to decorate these vegetables. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. All the work is done already for you, it’s a matter of assembling these ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups of spiralized vegetables
(Spiralized zucchini, carrot and butternut squash  *Whole Foods*)

6 cups water

2 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)

1 tsp. Pistachio Oil or other nut Oil

2 cloves fresh garlic

½ tsp. red crushed pepper flakes

4 Tbsp. pesto sauce (*Whole Foods*)

2 Tbsp. Pignoli nuts

½ cup of organic vegetable broth

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

½ cup hemp seeds

mixed spiralized vegetables

Directions:

Combine 6 cups of water in a sauce pan with a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt. When water reaches a rapid boil, add spiralized vegetables for 5 minutes ONLY (just long enough to blanch, be carful not to over cook). Remove, drain and set aside.

pignoli nut recipe

In a large sauté pan add: chopped garlic, red crushed pepper, pignoil nuts & salt, stirring constantly over medium heat for approx. 2 minutes. Make sure the garlic only slightly toasts. Add cooked spiralized vegetable. Toss for 2 minutes to blend all the oil flavors with the vegetable “pasta”.  Add pistachio oil. Stir for 1 minute longer then add the pesto sauce along with the vegetable broth and let it cook for 4 minutes longer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and finish it off with a topping of hemp seeds. These add a nice texture.

healthy veggie pasta with pesto sauce

ENJOY!

Gluten Free Healthy Apple Pie Recipe

Gluten Free Apple Nut Pie

As the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are approaching, I wanted to share this deliciously, easy apple pie recipe as you start entertaining guests or attending parties.  This will become your signature dessert that everyone will request. There is an abundance of apples in the markets right now. Here are just some of my favorites: Honeycrisp, Gala and Braeburn.

Ingredients:

 9 inch Spring Form pan

9 Inch Spring Form Pan

Pecan crust:
1 cup pecans
½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup walnuts
Dash sea salt
1 tsp organic raw sugar
Dash salt
Dash cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted Ghee

Apple filling:
5 apples cored and sliced organic
(Honeycrisp , Gala and Braeburn)
1 tsp. Madagascar pure vanilla
2 tsp hemp seeds
2 Tbsp. raw honey
¼ organic maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp. of organic sunflower butter(I <3 “Once Again”)
½ tsp lemon zest
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 Tbsp. coconut  sugar

Directions:
Make crust by combining all pecan crust ingredients in food processor. Spread evenly on bottom of spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Pecan Crust Pecan Crust Spring Pan Baked Pecan Crust

Meanwhile:
Place slice apples in a bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over apples. Add remaining ingredients.
Allow apples to marinate for 15 minutes while you make crumble topping.

Peeled Apple Sliced Apples

Almond Walnut and Hemp Seed Crumble:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup hemp seeds
½ cup almonds
3 Tbsp. Ghee melted
1 Tbsp. Pure organic cane sugar
1 Tbsp. coconut flour
Dash of salt

Blend all ingredients for crumble in food processor.

Walnuts Walnut Crumble

Assembly:
Layer apples on baked pecan crust. Add crumble topping. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits the more the flavors infuse.

 Gluten Free Healthy Apple Pie Recipe

Did you know?

According to medical journals Apples help ward of diabetes and dementia in addition to breast cancer.
Learn more >>

CMI-butternut-squash-pie-1

Butternut Squash Pie with Walnut

This pie is so delicious and versatile. It is slightly sweet and savory! It is a great pie for Thanksgiving Holidays.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. ghee
¼ tsp salt -Sea or Himalayan salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Dash of nutmeg
Dash red cayenne pepper
1 pkg. approx 20 oz to 2 lbs butternut squash – cut (approx 2 squash)

Directions for Pie Filling:
Add all ingredients into roasting pan, except for egg whites and honey.
Roast for 30 minutes at 375.

While squash is roasting, begin to make the Brazil Nut crust.

Directions for Pie Crust Ingredients:

3 Tbsp ghee melted
1 1/2 cups Brazil Nuts ***
Pie dish 9 inch
Dash of salt
Place all ingredients in food processor to make fine crumble. Line bottom of pie dish with Brazil Nut crumble and bake for 20 minutes at 375. Chill for 10 minutes in refrigerator before adding Pie Filling.

Assemble Pie Filling:

In food processor, puree roasted squash with:

2 Tbsp. raw honey
1 tsp maple syrup

Place in refrigerator. Chill for 15 minutes.

While filling is chilling 🙂

Beat 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold into chilled butternut squash filling.

Make the crumbled topping while the nut crust is baking and the squash is chilling.

Topping Ingredients (Walnut and Hemp Seed Crumble):
1 cup walnuts*
1 cup hemp seeds**
3 Tbsp. ghee melted
1 Tbsp. Pure organic coconut sugar
1 Tbsp. coconut flour

Mix all ingredients for crumbled in a food processor.
Put aside.

Final Assembly:

Add Butternut Squash filling to nut crust. Add the crumbled nut topping. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Check out the 7 benefits of Walnuts*

Did you know hemp seeds** help with stress relief and are loaded with magnesium? It’s also the highest source of plant based protein with roughly 13 grams of protein in just 3 Tbsp. Learn more

Brazil Nut *** nutrition facts.

mashed garlic cauliflower

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This will be the tastiest mock mashed potatoes you will ever have and is a great alternative to the more complex carbohydrate of potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil
½ tsp salt – kosher
½ tsp garlic powder
Pinch red crushed pepper
1 clove garlic raw
Fresh basil (chopped)
2 Tbsp.  Roasted Garlic Aioli
1/2 cup hemp seeds

Roasted Garlic Aioli Stonewall Kitchen

Directions:

Place cauliflower in a pot covered with water and a lid.  Boil for 20 minutes to soften. Drain. Put in food processor with rest of ingredients listed above. Blend all ingredients well. Sprinkle hemp seed on top.

If you want a little more flavor add one more clove of garlic and another ½ tsp of garlic powder . This will kick the flavor up quite a bit.

Hemp Seed Crusted Halibut with Garlic Aioli Pesto Sauce

Hemp Seed Crusted Halibut with Pesto Aioli Garic Sauce

Ingredients:

Two 6 oz. fillet of Halibut
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 Tbsp. pesto sauce
1 Tbsp. hemp seed
1 Tbsp. Roasted Aioli Garlic Sauce
from Stonewall Kitchen

Hemp Seed, Dry Vermouth, Garlic Aioli Sauce

Directions:

Make sure halibut is well chilled.
Season halibut with salt. Put Garlic Aioli sauce over top and layer the pesto sauce over Aioli.
Top with hemp seed.
Place in fridge for 15 minutes to infuse flavors. (This can be done in morning and cooked when ready).
Place under broiler for 15 minutes, then add vermouth and let top brown for 5 minutes longer.

This pairs nicely with our Garlic Mashed Cauliflower.  Using cauliflower instead of potatoes is a nice replacement for a low carb lifestyle.

According to Shape Magazine, hemp seeds give you the complete nutritional power of hemp with their blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, high fiber content, and quality amino acid profile. Hemp seeds are also high in magnesium, a mineral that helps with relaxation, blood sugar control, blood pressure, and potentially osteoporosis, and that is generally low in women. Three tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds gives you 10 grams (g) of protein, 14g fat (mostly coming from omega-3 and omega-6 fats), and 2g fiber.
Best uses: Hemp seeds are very versatile and can be sprinkled on salad, mixed in with yogurt, or added to a smoothie.

Another hemp seed resource I found interesting.  Read more >>