Casa Jo's: 14 days of cooler 1

Casa Jo's: 14 days of cooler 1: After several amazing weeks of summer indulging we finally took the plunge by committing to 14 days of Eat Clean Cooler 1. After the first s...

"Clean" Gluten-Free Banana Coconut Muffins

Since the holidays (and our decision to move to a 100% GF diet) I have been stocking up on a variety of GF flours to use as replacements for wheat based flours and have ended up with a stock pile of coconut. With so much of this fragrant flour on hand I have started to experiment with recipes that I have discovered through a number of gluten-free websites. This delicious recipe was a great find because it not only meets GF criteria but also Clean Eating.

Ingredients needed:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6 eggs (I substituted 2 of the eggs with egg whites and added just a touch more than 2 eggs worth)
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl blend flour and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl beat eggs one at a time, then add milk, honey, coconut oil, butter, vanilla, and salt. Continue mixing, then add coconut flour mixture and mashed bananas.
Blend well.
Spoon mixture into a prepared muffin pan. I prefer baking cups to avoid unnecessary oil.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until slightly browned on top.

I altered the recipe slightly as noted above. The muffins did not seem to rise significantly but they were moist and delicious. If you attempt these please let me know how they turned out for you!!

Cocoa Berry Smoothie

Yummy in the tummy... This healthy protein-rich drink packs a flavourful punch. Try it the next time you need great tasting energy in a hurry!

In a blender combine:

• 1 cup non-fat plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 cup non-fat or 1% milk
• 1 handful frozen strawberries
• 1 Tbsp flax meal
• 1/4 tsp all natural vanilla
• 1 scoop whey protein powder (1 serving, according to directions)
• 1 Tbsp all natural cocoa

Set to "Smoothie" setting and blend until creamy. Enjoy!

Simple and Delicious Tomato Soup

Try this variation on an old favourite the next time you have a craving for comfort food. This recipe puts a twist on the simplest of soups with a touch of Indian curry.

In a large sauce pan add 2 tablespoons of water then add half of a shopped white onion and 3 roughly chopped garlic cloves until the onion becomes translucent. Add 1 400ml can of whole or diced tomatoes (I use a low sodium variety) and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of Indian curry paste. (I had the luxury of using a delectable curry paste that was created from scratch by my sister-in-law for an Indian feast we shared in on New Year's Eve.) Transfer the tomato mixture to a large food processor or blender and blend until almost smooth. Transfer back to sauce pan and return to stove top. Bring soup to a boil then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes or longer if desired. Top with home made croutons, or a dollop of plain yogurt and Enjoy!