Whole30 Pumpkin Carrot Cake Muffins, by Diane

During this time of insanity thus known as corona quarantine, I knew immediately I needed to switch my diet to a Whole30 lest I eat everything in the house (aka the 'quarantine 15'). But since this is a crazy week I wanted something a little sweet to have as a snack or quick breakfast. These are SO FREAKIN GOOD and I will continue to make my little 'quarantine muffins' for the whole duration of this mess and then some!! They are also so nutritious and packed with good ingredients.

The recipe was originally inspired by this article, but I found that the texture and flavors were way off. So I improvised and came out with this version, which I am posting below. I added in raisins for extra sweetness and decreased the original amount of sweetener, added shredded unsweetened coconut to mimic carrot cake, and added more pumpkin pie spices (the original called for just Chinese five spice powder which was too savory). These are best stored in the fridge for the week, but they also freeze well according to the original recipe (I wouldn't know as I have eaten them all by the end of the week!).

Do yourself a favor and make these stat- they are well worth the trip outside!!!

Ingredients:

3 eggs at room temperature
4 medium carrots, peeled
1.5 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (if you don't have this on hand you can increase some of the spices below)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup date syrup (or other sweetener if you aren't doing whole30) (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup but I think 1/4 is sweet enough)
2 tbsp. almond butter
1 tsp melted coconut oil
2 small boxes (around 4 tbsp.) of dark raisins
2 tbsp. shredded unsweetened coconut
Garnish with slivered almonds and toasted pumpkin seeds


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin. I have found that foil liners sprayed with cooking spray work amazing for nonstick perfect muffins!

2. Sift together all dry ingredients (almond flour, five spice powder, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, tartar, and salt) until mixed finely. Don't skip this step as almond flour tends to form clumps.

3. Grate the carrots (or use a food processor) until ground small, then strain in a thick layer of papertowels or cheesecloth.

4. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, date syrup, almond butter, and coconut oil until smooth. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Add in carrots, raisins, and coconut and mix well.

6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins, you should have enough for all 12 filled to the top. Garnish with almonds and pumpkin seeds, making sure to press them lightly into the muffins so they bake in.

7. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the tray 180 degrees halfway through cooking.

8. Remove and let sit for 1-2 minutes, then place the muffins in their liners on a baking rack to cool.

Citrus Collard Greens with Raisin Reduction, by Diane

I saw this recipe at Whole Foods recently and decided to recreate it. I'm always looking for new ways to eat greens, and I've been trying to like collards for a while. This recipe was good and packed with nutrients but it was very sweet. I'm not sure I'll be making it again for that reason, but if you like sweet things and greens it's a perfect recipe! Very easy to make, too.

The recipe was actually online already so I followed that: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Citrus-Collards-with-Raisins-Redux-352451

Also- I learned a new cooking technique from this website called chiffonade: "The chiffonade cut is used to produce very fine threads of leafy fresh herbs as well as greens and other leafy vegetables. First, remove any tough stems that would prevent the leaf from being rolled tightly (reserve them for stocks or salads). Next, stack several leaves, roll them widthwise into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise with a sharp knife, cutting the leaves into thin strips." Pretty handy :)

Ingredients:

2 large bunches collard greens, ribs removed, cut into strips/chiffonade, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards. 

2. Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander. 

3. In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 

4. Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately.