Nutrient Dense Foods

By Megan, from Eat Beautiful

These protein-rich, savory muffins are studded with delicious vegetables and make an excellent breakfast or snack. They don’t contain almonds or almond products, and can be made nut-free with the use of sunflower seeds. So many Paleo or GAPS-friendly baked goods contain almonds or almond flour, so I’d like to share a recipe with you that doesn’t.

There is a glut of almond flour recipes in the Paleo baking community and while they are delicious they are also high in omega-6s, which already inundate the standard American diet. Additionally, most commercial almond products (meal, blanched meal, flour and butter) are not sprouted. In my opinion, all nuts and seeds should be sprouted before consumption for digestibility, and mineral absorption.

What about a muffin that has no flour at all? Truly Paleolithic in spirit, and even healing in its gentleness and nutrient profile, a muffin of meat, soaked seeds, eggs, veggies and fat is in order!

Soaked pine nuts are the secret ingredient in these lunch-inspired savory treats! The pine nuts do not, however, need to be dehydrated. They soak overnight in salt water (this takes less than 5 minutes, including their morning rinsing) and then get pureed right into the muffin batter. Easy.

For a more economical version, raw sunflower seeds are used.

The Sausage and Egg Muffin is also full of grated veggies. So you’re getting a walloping dose of goodness, a meal, in the form of a delicious handheld snack. I make a batch of these and freeze them. Then I alternate putting them, or leftovers from dinner, in my daughter’s daily lunches. She loves them and they look “normal” to her friends who do not eat Paleo diets. (That’s helpful when you’re 14.)

These are also great for road trips, or whenever you’re overly hungry but have no time to make a quality meal. They defrost beautifully in a toaster oven, straight from the freezer.

We love them plain. We also love to break them in half and top the halves with slices of butter or cheese.

You may notice; the recipe indicates the muffins are baking soda-free. For those on healing diets, such as GAPS, this plays in. Baking soda makes the stomach less acidic. Having an acidic belly is important in terms of triggering the digestive mechanisms to secrete digestive juices. (I even take a supplement called Betaine HCl with Pepsin that adds more acid to my stomach.) The muffins rise beautifully and stay their risen selves without the leavening agent.

Try these nourishing, protein-packed muffins that offer nothing but good stuff to give you energy toward wellness!

By the way, this recipe comes from my cookbook; and it’s one we make in our Paleo café. If you enjoy this recipe and approach to grain-free baking, check out my cookbook where you’ll find lots more treats that are customer-approved and genuinely healthy! My cookbook is Eat Beautiful: Grain-free, Sugar-free and Loving It and can be purchased as an eCookbook or in softcover from Amazon.

Cheers, friends! Enjoy.

Savory Meat and Veggie Muffins, aka Sausage and Egg Muffins

(nut-free, dairy-free, baking soda-free)

Intentionally GAPS-friendly, these muffins are an easy meal in your hand. Accompanied by a mug or Thermos of bone broth, they make the diet easier when you need to be away from home. Make a bundle of them and keep them in the freezer, easy to grab on the go. They also are free of baking soda, an added GAPS bonus, for a healing and satisfying food.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soaked raw pine nuts, wet* (see how-to below), or sunflower seeds (for a more economical option)
• 1 cup zucchini or carrots, grated, or a combination of both
• 1 cup cooked ground beef or other ground meat (ideally cooked up with a little sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon per 1 pound meat)
• 6 eggs, preferably pastured
• 1/2 cup olive oil, coconut oil, ghee or rendered animal fat, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup coconut flour or chia seeds
• 1 dried teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon powdered stevia (or 10 to 15 drops liquid stevia — NuNaturals brand preferred) or 2 tsp. honey

Yields 6 large or 12 small-size muffins.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Directions:

1. Prepare 6 extra-large muffin cups or 12 medium-size muffin cups by lining them with cut squares of parchment paper. (Or use good-quality muffin cup liners that won’t stick.)
2. Place the pine nuts, eggs, oil, coconut flour, oregano, sea salt and stevia into the blender.
3. Puree the ingredients until they are smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Fold in zucchini or carrots and meat.
5. Pour the muffin batter into the prepared tin and bake until they are puffed, golden and a knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean — about 25 minutes.

Variations:

• Substitute grated apple and bulk pork for the zucchini and beef. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon allspice and 1/2 teaspoon sage for the oregano.
• For added protein, use the full 1 pound of cooked ground meat, folding it into the batter as described. This version turns out great.

*How to soak raw seeds- For every 4 cups raw seeds, cover by two inches with room-temperature filtered water and 2 teaspoons sea salt. Stir well to dissolve the salt. Leave uncovered at room temperature overnight, then drain and rinse well in the morning. They are now ready to be used in their wet form.

Paleo Meat and Veggie Muffins

 

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Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked raw pine nuts, wet* (see how-to below), or sunflower seeds (for a more economical option)
• 1 cup zucchini or carrots, grated, or a combination of both
• 1 cup cooked ground beef or other ground meat (ideally cooked up with a little sea salt, ½ teaspoon per 1 pound meat)
• 6 eggs, preferably pastured
• ½ cup olive oil, coconut oil, ghee or rendered animal fat, melted and cooled
• ⅓ cup coconut flour or chia seeds
• 1 dried teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon powdered stevia (or 10 to 15 drops liquid stevia — NuNaturals brand preferred) or 2 tsp. honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 6 extra-large muffin cups or 12 medium-size muffin cups by lining them with cut squares of parchment paper. (Or use good-quality muffin cup liners that won’t stick.)
2. Place the pine nuts, eggs, oil, coconut flour, oregano, sea salt and stevia into the blender.
3. Puree the ingredients until they are smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Fold in zucchini or carrots and meat.
5. Pour the muffin batter into the prepared tin and bake until they are puffed, golden and a knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean — about 25 minutes.

Notes

Substitute grated apple and bulk pork for the zucchini and beef. Substitute ¼ teaspoon allspice and ½ teaspoon sage for the oregano.
For added protein, use the full 1 pound of cooked ground meat, folding it into the batter as described. This version turns out great.

*How to soak raw seeds- For every 4 cups raw seeds, cover by two inches with room-temperature filtered water and 2 teaspoons sea salt. Stir well to dissolve the salt. Leave uncovered at room temperature overnight, then drain and rinse well in the morning. They are now ready to be used in their wet form.

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