I have been searching for the perfect banana muffin recipe and this one is definitely in the running. I do love the banana bread in the cookbook, but I was all out of almond flour so needed a recipe that used brown rice and garbanzo bean flour. Below is a variation on the Maple Berry Muffin recipe from the Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book. I love the way Jennifer uses olive oil instead of butter in her recipes, which is completely fine when you are not cooking or baking at a super high heat. I like making the mini muffins because they are a perfect treat and these actually freeze quite well if you want to make a double batch. Enjoy!

¾ cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
¾ tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup olive oil
¼ tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ tsp vanilla
½ cup blue organic agave nectar
3 bananas, mashed

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients to blender and puree. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into mini muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 24 mini muffins.

When we lived in Seattle, I was lucky enough to meet Jennifer Katzinger,who at the time was the owner of the Flying Apron Bakery. It was always one of my favorite places to get a delicious gluten free treat so I was thrilled when she authored the Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book. Delicious recipes! One of my favorites is her Maple Cake, which has become a staple for birthdays in our home. I halved the recipe in the book and it made one large 9-inch circle, which was plenty as it is quite sweet. In this recipe I also used maple syrup instead of low-glycemic agave nectar because I happened to have a fresh jar that my mom had sent me from Canada. Sometimes it’s good to have a real treat and believe it or not maple syrup has some health benefits as well including being rich in calcium, potassium, manganese iron and zinc. It also contains antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties.

Here is the version of the recipe I used. I would highly recommend ordering Jennifer’s gluten free cookbook for more delicious baked treats like this one.

2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
½ tablespoon of baking soda
½ cup olive oil
½ tablespoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups maple syrup

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix together until thoroughly combined. Pour into greased 9-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

When my husband and I first moved to Seattle, we loved to go to the top of the Space Needle and have dinner. Our friends thought only tourists went there, but the food was great and the view was incredible. At the time, I was writing the Cooking for Fertility cookbook and decided to include a variation of one of our favorite Space Needle Meals.

This dish bolsters immunity with mushrooms, builds blood with spinach, offers omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts, and adds a serving of full-fat dairy with goat cheese.

Serves 2-4 Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
4 large portabello mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces fresh spinach
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup goat cheese
1/8 cup walnuts
crushed Sea salt or dulse flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet, and add garlic and spinach, stirring until wilted. remove, and add tomatoes.

Scoop out insides from mushroom caps, rinse and dry thoroughly. Brush mushrooms with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spoon spinach mixture into caps. Sprinkle goat cheese on top and top with walnuts, if desired, and bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

In the process of writing the cookbook I had to cut out some recipes I really liked. I also mistakenly included this one in the index and one reader was helpful and eager enough to try the recipe that they took the time to write me (thank you!). So here it is a delicious combination of mango and gluten free rice flour.

With all of its 70 plus anti-oxidants, brown rice combines with the cooling nature of mango to replenish adrenal and reproductive system over-drive. Alternative toppings for pancakes: dark berries, fresh fruit slices, unsweetened jam, agave nectar or simple syrup. 
 
 Enjoy!

1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp guar gum
½ tsp flaxseed
½ cup simple syrup
1 ½ cups almond, rice, hemp or goat milk
1 egg
2 T olive oil
½ cup mango, chopped

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Add in mangoes. Spray a saucepan with olive oil and warm over med-low heat. Spoon in ¼ cup of the batter; cook until bubbles form on top. Flip, and cook 2-3 minutes more until done. Serve drizzled with simple syrup. 


Everybody loves a sweet treat from time to time. One of the best choices is to reach for a high quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa content or more.

Dark chocolate, a friendly monounsaturated fat, has some strong benefits for fertility. Research shows that the smell of chocolate can increase the brain’s theta waves, which promote the relaxation response. Chocolate contains flavanoids known to help elevate mood, promote blood flow, ease inflammation and inhibit the formation of blood clots. Chocolate also contains arginine, which increases blood flow to the uterus and ovaries specifically. Both chocolate and L-arginine supplements are best avoided in cases of Heat, and particularly if you have skin eruptions like herpes. Drink Hot Chocolate as an occasional treat, not an everyday staple.

Yields: 2 generous servings

2 cups almond, hemp or goat milk 1/3 cup water 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Heat milk and water over medium-low heat. Add in cocoa powder, stirring vigorously until completely dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and stir for two minutes. Once it is simmering, remove from heat and serve while hot.

I’ve been craving soups this fall and have been experimenting with some variations from the recipes in the cookbook. My favorite so far has been the butternut squash apple soup. My whole family loves it, even the littlest one among us. It’s nutrient rich, sweet and savory all at the same time. Squash is a beneficial source of Vitamin A. Cooling and replenishing in nature, it helps resolve inflammatory conditions. Apples benefit people with low blood sugar or emotional depression. Seaweed salt alternatives are delicious and contain wonderful minerals to support your very essence and fertility. Like most soups I find this one tastes even better the second day.

You will need

1 onion (I like yellow)
1 Tablespoons of olive oil
1- 32 ounce container of organic chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 lbs of butternut squash
4 apples (choose sweet varities like gala)
Seaweed salt alternative and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute onion in 1 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add stock of choice with chopped butternut squash and apples. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer until squash and apple are soft. Puree in batches and return to stove to simmer for an additional 30-60 minutes. Serve hot and season with seaweed and pepper to your liking.

My sister just sent me this most delicious mango salsa recipe. She always makes the best recipes with very little effort or measurements for that matter. So you can play around and make this salsa to your taste with some basic parameters provided by Meghan.

I love the combination of the Vitamin C rich, antiviral mango with the most protein rich fruit: avocado, a wonderful source of monounsaturated fat. The red onion adds a nice tang along with the lime juice, both which help to move any liver stagnation or angst from your day.

Serve with gluten free corn tortilla chips and enjoy!

2 avocados
1 mango
1/2 red onion
Cilantro
Lime juice
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

A recipe from Cooking for Fertility: Foods to Nourish Your Fertile Soul.

Quinoa, packs 16% more protein than any other grain, warming you from the inside out. its plant protein contains manganese, magnesium, iron, and all nine essential amino acids. Soaking quinoa overnight helps to release nutrients and improves digestibility. nurture yourself with this nutrient-dense start to the day or enjoy with lunch or dinner as a savory side dish.

Serves 2
Cooking time: 35 minutes

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, soaked
1/2 cup steamed almond, hemp or goat milk
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon flaxseed

Place water and quinoa in a covered saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. turn off heat and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and add almonds, raspberries, steamed milk and cinnamon.

We have been searching for the perfect gluten free pizza crust over the last few weeks. In the fertility cookbook, I create a brown rice pizza crust that, as my husband would tell you, took forever to perfect. I also love the quinoa flatbread that Tif and I showcased in the cooking dvd. After making and enjoying both many times, we both agree that it is delicious but sometimes it’s nice to have something packaged and ready to go.

And so our search began with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust. I liked this one more than my husband did, possibly because I am strictly gluten free and the possibility of eating pizza is simply delightful to me! My husband found the dough was a little “wet” and didn’t enjoy it as much. This one comes with yeast in the package and the assembly is quite easy. It’s possible to split the serving into two and keep a portion in the fridge for the next day. This definitely is not the kind of pizza you want to eat cold in the middle of the night. Our recommendation: always eat it warm and cook for a little longer than recommended to ensure the crust is not soggy.

Our second attempt at gluten free pizza was straight out of the freezer section. This is a healthfood gal’s dream come true and the closest I get to “fast food”. Natures Hilights Brown Rice Pizza Crust was the easiest to prepare of the three we’ve tested. We both thought it was pretty good and we’ve enjoyed it several times since. The crust itself doesn’t have too much flavor so you will want to add all of your favorite toppings to spice things up. We loved this one with sauteed onions, mushrooms and goat cheese.

Our third choice has been our favorite so far. Even though it is the most complicated of the three we made, Dad’s Gluten Free Pizza Crust tasted the most like real pizza. This blend does not come with the active yeast and since we didn’t have any in the house we opted for Brewer’s yeast, which is not the same but did give us the added benefit of B vitamins. I think this product is pretty new on the market and it looks like they used to only sell in pre-made shells. Look for them on the shelves of your local health food store (the package is red). Again, the longer you cook this one, the better and crispier it tastes! We added leftover bolognese sauce, onions and mushrooms with goat cheese and the combination was absolutely delicious.