Mini Tarts with Cherry-Fig Compote

“I received free samples of Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax and Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic from Dare Foods Incorporated mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Dare Foods Incorporated and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

What do you bring to a last minute dinner party when you have zero desire to go to the store, mostly because it will interrupt your already planned day of being lazy, maybe doing some Pilate's and getting in at least an hour of afternoon pool time. I know, I have it rough. Well, I know we will be having wine during and after dinner so I thought some cute mini tarts filled with a fig-cherry compote would be a fantastic idea. Maybe I'll stop and pick up a bottle of port to go with them.

note to self: don't eat all of the tarts before dinner even though your house smells heavenly.

I can do this.







I've remade these from an older recipe of mine for fig bars using mostly oats and flax for the crust. This time I tried using Breton's Gluten Free Crackers with Flax for half of the mixture and they turned out great. Don't look at me like that, I had to try one.... o.k. two you know, just to make sure they were blog and dinner party worthy. The things I do for you people!

Compote (French for "mixture") is a dessert originating from 17th-century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins.  

The French invented compote believing that fruit cooked in sugar syrup balanced the effects of humidity on the body. The name is derived from the French word compote, meaning mixture. Compote was originally served as an afternoon snack with sour cream and biscuits. During the Renaissance, it was served chilled at the end of dinner. 

Pulse the oats and Breton Gluten Free Flax crackers into a flour.

Snip the little stems off of the figs.

Coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of the dough into the muffin tin pressing down with your fingers to form a hole in the center, leaving some dough on the bottom and up around the edges of each cup.

Mini Tarts with Cherry-Fig Compote

Mini Tarts with Cherry-Fig Compote

TIME     30 MINUTES       YIELDS    12 MINI TARTS

Filling:


6 ounces dried Figs (preferably Organic)

4 ounces dried Apricots OR dried Cherries (preferably Organic)

2 tbsp. chopped almonds

2 drops anise extract (optional)

1 tbsp  local, Organic honey (local honey help with outdoor allergies!) 

2 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. orange juice OR lemon juice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger


Snip off the figs' stems, and put them, the apricots, almonds, water, honey and spices into the food processor. Pulse to a coarse paste. Spoon out of food processor and set aside in a small bowl.

Crust:

1 cup regular or quick oats 

1/2 cup whole oats

12 Breton's Gluten Free Crackers with Flax

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces unsweetened apple sauce

1 tablespoon local, Organic honey

1/3 cup water

Directions: 

 Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in the wet ingredients, mixing well to a thick consistency.

Place 1 cup of  oats and the crackers into your food processor or blender. Pulse until you have a flour.  

Coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of the dough into the muffin tin pressing down with your fingers to form a hole in the center, leaving some dough on the bottom and up around the edges of each cup.
Spoon the fig mixture into each cup. 

Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before removing tarts. Serve warm or at room temperature with afternoon tea or with wine for dessert. 

Now, off to quickly fold some laundry, if that's possible with the amount of laundry we have in this joint. Second thought, forget the laundry. Off to do 45 minutes of Pilate's which brings me to my happy place and then go sit by the pool.


Have a great weekend my friends!






   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

Shrimp and Pesto Pizza with Sun Dried Tomatoes on No Rise Pizza Dough.

Would you believe me if I told you that this pizza was so fast and easy to make that you can do it on any day of the week? I did just to make sure it was as easy as it sounded, it is. I usually save pizza for the weekends and home made pizza for a day when I have plenty of time, patience and energy. Needless to say, we don't have home made pizza very often. That is until my sister gave me her recipe for this basic pizza dough. Now we can have fresh out of the oven pizza on any given Tuesday!

Preheat your oven to 425F.  Place a pizza stone if using, in oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. 

This dough is so easy I almost feel like I'm cheating. NO rising, No kneading and no waiting. Only a handful of ingredients and a stir of the spoon and you have home made pizza dough in under 10 minutes.

Separate the mixed dough into two equal parts {or shape into bread sticks!}. 

On a silpat or wax paper, roll into a ball and press with your hands to make a circle. Finish rolling the dough out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/4" -1/2" thick. 

Carefully, transfer dough to the hot pizza stone by flipping it over. Pushing the edges in if needed.

Cook the dough for 10-15 minutes till lightly golden brown but not done.  Poking holes in any bubbles that may form. 

Using an oven mitt, carefully pull oven rack out and spread pesto (or sauce of choice) over dough to 1/2" from the edge. Sprinkle with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and raw shrimp. 

Rachel's Easy Pizza Dough Recipe  (makes 2 pizzas or 1 pizza + bread sticks)

2 1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. sugar
4 1/2 Tbs. oil
2 tsp. dry yeast
5 2/3 cup flour

Mix salt, sugar, yeast and oil. Pour warm water over mix and stir. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well each time, then kneed. No rising necessary. Bake 425 degrees 15-20 minutes. 

Top with sauce and toppings, bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese melts and turns golden brown and shrimp is pink.

You Might Also Like



Pineapple Carnitas Pizza

Rosemary, Garlic and Parm Rustic Flatbread Pizza

Cheesy Pizza Bread with Caramelized Onions

Lemon Ricotta Tart with Walnut Ginger Snap Crust and Wild Blueberries {gluten and sugar free}

Lemon plays a star role in complementing these Wild Blueberries. This rustic tart will be the star to any main dish you serve.

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Sometimes it really pays to be a food blogger. Not necessarily in the monetary sense, which would be nice too but in the sense that I get introduced to all kinds of knew ingredients and foods. I've always looooved  berries, especially blueberries (to be honest, black berries are my fav). The only time I've experienced actual 'wild berries' was once in Sedona, Az. when I was in my early 20's and we went blackberry picking along the Creek. Heaven.

We were armed with small, plastic buckets and wore cotton tank tops and simple shorts and our feet adorned very stylish Teva sandals {it was the 90's}. We parked our jeep along the side of the road, a suicide mission by any standards seeing as that the very narrow and curvy scenic Route 89a has no shoulder to speak of and the tourists are whizzing around the blind bends of the 2 way road trying to catch a peek at beautiful Oak Creek. 

Scuffling down the steep ravine we made our way into the cool shade of the trees along Oak Creek. Wading through the shallow, cool water we made our way to the other side where we were told wild berries awaited us. We picked to our content. The plump, warm berries from the bush and put almost as many in our buckets as we did our mouths. The sound of the creek to our backs and the sun on our shoulders.

I've gone and gotten off course again. Memories. Now I must get back up to Sedona for another spontaneous road trip. It's less than 2 hours from our home in Phoenix! Lucky ducks. My point and I do have one {will be written on my gravestone} is that my exposure to wild berries is limited and in the past. Now that I know how accessible wild blueberries are, I'm one very happy girl. 

{side note, I easily found my Wild Blueberries at my local Sprouts in the freezer section.}

image courtesy Sedona Pictures

image courtesy The Greening of Sedona

So I've told you how special wild berries are to me. Nothing compares. I cringe at the thought of how far most grocery store berries have traveled. In the words of Barbara Kingsolver, probably "further than most of us will ever travel on vacation in our lives". Where's the freshness in that?

Go Wild Blueberries!

All blueberries are not alike! Wild Blueberries are the little ones that grow naturally in the fields and barrens of Maine, eastern Canada and Quebec.

One of North America’s native berries, Wild Blueberries are lowbush varieties that are never planted and are harvested commercially only in this special place.

Wild Blueberries have not been modified or meddled with by man to make them larger or easier to ship – they are the same berry that existed over 10,000 years ago. Mother Nature’s original blueberry.

Wild Blueberries have advantages over the larger cultivated blueberries, including:

• Intense flavor & color

• More berries per pound

• Less water, so they freeze better and perform better in baking

• Higher concentration of beneficial phytochemicals, making them a more powerful ally against disease

• Wild = more protective phytochemicals in every serving

• Wild Blueberries are leaders in antioxidant capacity; They are rich in anthocyanin, which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which may help prevent chronic diseases

• Anthocyanin is a flavonoid found in the deep blue pigments of Wild Blueberries, giving them their color and their antioxidant power. We call it the “The Power of Wild Blue”

Wild Blueberries are the subject of hundreds of research studies looking at potential benefits to humans including:

• Brain health
• Anti-aging
• Heart health
• Diabetes prevention
• Cancer prevention
• Reducing oxidative stress
• Preventing UTIs
• Eye health
• Most Wild Blueberries are frozen at harvest, locking in their intense blueberry flavor and antioxidant power
• Frozen Fresh Wild Blueberries are just as nutritious as fresh and may even retain their nutritional value longer
• Frozen Fresh Wild Blueberries are available year-round; they can be used right out of the freezer – no thawing required
• Frozen Fresh Wild Blueberries make it easy to get your “Daily Dose of Wild Blue”
• Frozen Wild Blueberries are an excellent value, they offer consistent quality, ease of use, high antioxidant content, health benefits, less spoilage, affordability.

Lemon Ricotta Tart with Walnut Ginger Snap Crust and Wild Blueberries

Gluten Free + Sugar Free = Guilt Free

For the Crust 

3/4 cup walnuts 

1 cup gluten free ginger snap cookies  (regular will do) 

1 large egg white 

1 tablespoon butter, melted 

2 teaspoons canola oil 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Coarsely chop walnuts in a food processor. Add ginger snap cookies and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like crumbs. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture, butter, oil and salt; stir to combine. 

Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and slightly darker around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.  

notes: If using an 11" tart pan more commonly used for frittatas like I have, you will need to make 1.5x the recipe and increase the baking time on the crust by 5-7 minutes and increase the cooking time on the finished tart (with the custard) by approximately 12-15 minutes.



For the Filling 

2 cups part skim ricotta 

1 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw *see notes (or Turbinado/Raw Organic sugar) 

zest from 2 lemons (about 3 tablespoons) 

4 large eggs (Free range 

Juice from 2 large lemons (about 3/4 cup) 

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract 

pinch of salt 

1 cup Wild Blueberries

Preheat oven to 400F.  

Using a stand or electric mixer with paddle, beat ricotta on medium speed until softened and fluffy. Gradually beat in Monk Fruit in the Raw (or Turbinado sugar) until light and fluffy. Add lemon rind then eggs, one at a time, to prevent curdling. Add a pinch of salt, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. 

Pour mixture into walnut crust and bake for 15 minutes at 400F. Reduce heat to 380F  and bake for another 35 minutes, until the custard is slightly firm and does not jiggle.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. 

Simply sprinkle thawed Wild Blueberries over the top of the custard, slice and serve warm.

notes: A warm sauce would be amazing drizzled over this custard. Simply combine Wild blueberries, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons honey in a sauce pot and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes, stirring till thick and bubbly. What is Monk Fruit?  

Where can you find Monk Fruit in the Raw? It's a very new product so unless you live on the East coast you will probably have to order it on line. If you do, please help support Simply Healthy Family by ordering it from our Amazon store here.

Ricotta filling recipe adapted from ninemsn 

Guest Post from The Fit House Wife: Healthy Carrot Cake

I  got some upsetting news the other morning that my dear grandma Ramona had passed away. This was not an unexpected thing, she would have been 95 this Friday and has been declining in health the last few years. So while I am forever grateful that I had time to prepare for her leaving this world and even had a chance to visit her last summer I am unexpectedly very heavy at heart with her death. I had told myself to prepare for this and even prayed for her to have a quiet passing to put an end to her unrelenting pain and suffering these last few years. So while I am happy she is at peace, I miss her terribly. 

I could write an essay about how amazing my grandma Ramona was. She was the most loving, understanding,  down to earth and sweetest women I have ever known. She just had this way of making you feel like you were the most special person in the world, loved. I named my daughter after her and can't wait to tell her what a beautiful soul she was named after. Even though my grandma scolded me for naming my daughter Mona, a name "she always hated". "Don't you dare name her that" she would say. But, when she met her name sake for the first time last summer I could see the spark of love and happiness in her wrinkled and pained eyes.

Long intro. Sorry. While I am away attending services and spending time with my family I don't see nearly enough of some of my good blogging friends stepped up at very short notice willing to help me out with keeping my blog 'live'. I am so touched and ever so grateful for such dear friends. 

Please let me introduce one of my longest blogging inspirations, Jen from The Fit House Wife. If you are going to find healthy for life inspiration anywhere, it's going to be from Jen. Her recipes are amazing and she has helped me as a Beach Body representative to get into kick ass shape again. She is truly motivational and I hope you will visit her site!

Post from Jen at The Fit House Wife

Do you have an all-time favorite cake?  While I would like to say chocolate, I think my absolute favorite cake is actually carrot cake.   I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the carrots and everything to do with the cream cheese icing.

Did you know that if you prefer carrot cake, you are a fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm-hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.  Apparently, your favorite dessert has a lot to do with your personality.  Who knew?!

Typically, carrot cake can be loaded with extra calories and fat.  While I think it's okay to indulge once in a while, I'm always trying to make our favorite recipes healthier.  I mean, why not enjoy a delicious carrot cake that tastes just like the real thing, but has only healthy ingredients.  I feel a lot less guilt when enjoying a slice :)

I bet when you hear the words, "healthy" and "cake" used together, you are thinking "dry" and "tasteless."  That's what I usually think.  How can a "healthy" cake be moist and delicious?  Well, it can.  And this Healthy Carrot Cake is just that!

You can thank the added fruit and yogurt for that.  And would you believe that there is NO refined sugar in this recipe?  Please, do me a favor and throw away your white sugar.  You don't need it and it's not doing you any favours by keeping it.

I haven't used white sugar in years.  So what do I like to use?  Raw honey.  It's sweeter, meaning you need less of it.  Plus, it's all-natural.  Raw honey isn't filtered, strained, or heated above natural hive temperatures (usually 115 degrees Fahrenheit), a process used in conventional honey that can destroy beneficial enzymes, nutrients, and antioxidants.

Personally, I don't like nuts or raisins in my carrot cake, but feel free to add them if you like them in your cake.  I also like the grated carrot for garnish.  Another nice garnish would be orange zest.

The next time you want to make some carrot cake that you won't feel guilty about eating, I highly recommend you make this healthy version.  You won't be disappointed.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 59 minutes

Yield: 16 slices

Serving Size: 1 slice

Recipe adapted from The Complete Light Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup raw honey, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• For the icing:
• 1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup icing sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp low-fat milk or water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch Bundt pan with olive oil.

For the cake, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the carrots, pineapple, and yogurt. Stir until everything is combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the carrot mixture and stir until everything is combined.

Pour the cake mixture into your prepared Bundt pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. When the cake is no longer hot, invert cake onto a serving plate.

For the icing, beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, and milk in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over top of the cake. Garnish with grated carrot or orange zest (optional).

Notes

Cal: 199 Fat: 7g Protein: 4g Carbs: 30g Fiber: 1g Sodium: 189mg

Weight Watchers Points+: 5

Cheesy Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Prosciutto and Roasted Garlic {gluten free}

It takes a good, solid year to get moved and settled into a new house. This, is a fact.... otherwise known as my opinion. We have been living in our current house AKA the crappy rental for almost a year and I finally found a good place to store the ginormous magnifying glass from Pottery Barn and hung the last 3 pictures in our bedroom. Mind you I have absolutely no idea where half of my belongings are. You see, part of the curse of being a procrastinator is that you wait until the day of moving to pack things that you never knew you even had in the first place. Things you never even used one single time like your kitchen scale which you have now decided that you can't live without. 

Not worth killing yourself over a kitchen scale by climbing mountains of haphazardly stacked boxes topped with over sized Christmas wreaths and luggage. The arrangement my husband assured me was only temporary 10 months ago.

What is driving me batty is not remembering exactly what camping gear we do or do not have because when we lived in our old house we had 4 children, 3 of them under the age of 7 and 1 in diapers until after we moved. Not exactly the scenario I would paint for a fun camping trip. Wait. Did I just say camping could be fun? Well, we're going this weekend and have no idea where half our gear is. 

Camping with 4 kids = Not always so much fun.

Simple home made pizza with negative zero guilt = My idea of fun!

Amen!

 

Believe me when I tell you that this pizza crust is delicious, thin and remarkable crispy yet slightly soft and chewy with notes of Italian herbs, spices and freshly grated Parmesan and mozzarella in every bite.

Your "dough" will be slightly crumbly but will hold together nicely
by the egg and cheeses. 

Mix the 'dough' together with your hands until combined then shape into a ball and place on a square of parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten out into a circle about 1/4" thick. The thicker you make it the longer it will take to cook. Look how nicely it forms.

While you are preparing the cauliflower 'dough' place a pizza stone (or baking sheet)  in an oven pre-heated to 450F. on the lower rack.

Carefully slide the dough and parchment onto the pre-heated stone.

Bake 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and crispy around the edges.

Remove stone from oven, place on a cooling rack and top with your choice of toppings! The possibilities are endless of course. I used one of my all time favorite combos, roasted garlic and prosciutto with fresh pizza sauce and lots of fresh Italian cheeses. I made the boys a cheeseburger pizza. 

You Will Need:

1 medium sized cauliflower
 1/4 cup mozzarella or Italian cheese blend plus more for topping if desired
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated is best
1 jar prepared pizza sauce or home made (recipe below)
1 medium egg (Organic & free range of course :)
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes)

Toppings of your desire.


Wash cauliflower well and dry. Cut off leaves and stems. Break into florets. 

Place into a large food processor (I don't have one, I used my Vitamix. If you do this I suggest putting in half at a time.)  PULSE several times until you have a 'powdery' texture. Don't over blend, you'll have mush.

Scrape into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes on regular power. (I've skipped this
step before and it turned out fine, slightly soggier but fine)
Carefully remove from microwave and let sit for a couple of minutes. 
Dump cauliflower onto the middle of a kitchen towel and fold lengthwise into thirds. 
Now, wring the heck out of it getting out as much liquid as you possibly can. I typically get just less than a cup! The more liquid you get out, the crispier your crust will be i.e. more toppings!

Place cauliflower back into bowl. add herbs, spices, salt and cheeses. Mix well with your hands.
Now add egg. Mix to combine. Make into a ball and place onto a square of parchment paper. 
Using your hands, shape into a circle 1/4" thick. 

Carefully slide the parchment paper and cauliflower crust onto your pre-heated stone.
Bake at 450F for 20-25 minutes (checking after 15 minutes as oven times vary).
When crust is golden brown and crispy around the edges remove from oven.

Top with your favorite pizza toppings and pop back into the oven for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.


Enjoy!!!

Protein Packed Banana Sunflower Cookies gluten and sugar free

My baby is going to be 4 years old in a few weeks. I suppose that means I can officially no longer use the excuse that I am still trying to loose the baby fat. What's that you say? Most people say it only takes 6 months to a year at most to lose the weight after having a baby. Well then, I guess I better find another excuse for hanging onto the chubs like being almost 40=slow metabolism, being constantly busy with 4 kids and work.......

Alright, alright. Excuses suck and they don't create results so I'll  just have to suck it up and take matters into my own hands. Step it up a notch. Or two.

My chubby tummy is really starting to get on my nerves. The chubs have gots to go! I have been telling myself for almost 4 years, since aforementioned baby numero 4 that I will not buy new clothes until I lose at least 20lbs. 30 would be super.

The fact that my wardrobe is seriously out of style should tell you something. It's been way too long just waiting for the weight to come off. After I had my first 3 children I worked out once and a while, a few times a week usually hiking or playing tennis and sometimes home workouts when it was too hot outside. The wight came off fairly easily. So what happened after baby #4? This belly won't budge!


Taking matters into my own hands I decided to join a workout program along with a month of Shakeology with my long time fellow blogger and inspirational friend Jen aka The Fit Housewife.
I'm so excited to get started! My package should be on the doorstep any day now and I'll be on a 90 kick ass jump start to the new me with Chalean Extreme.


Getting motivated to workout isn't easy for me. Usually I have to tell myself to at the very least do a Yoga or 20 minutes of Pilates and after I do I'm energized and ready to kick it into gear with a tougher workout. Cute new workout clothes also are a great motivator so when Marni from ZUMBA Fitness offered to send me some of their new apparel I was more than happy to check it out.

I recieved this cute tank top which I loved! It wans't clingy which helps hide the tummy while I try to get rid of it. I really liked how airy it was, I hate when my clothes stay wet when I sweat. 

These sports bras would look great under their open back tanks!

 I like the sassy edgy quality of Zumba's line of comfortable workout clothes. 

Sporting my cute, new workout clothes and stocked with these healthy,

 protein packed pre-workout cookies I'm ready to get my cardio on!

These banana sunflower cookies taste like banana bread, my favorite!
Sweetened with a touch of honey and a handful of shredded coconut and made with
good for you gluten free flours minus the starch. I'm in love.

 

Oil free, butter free, refined sugar free, grain free. These still tasted wonderful. They have a cake like texture and the sunflower seeds added just the right amount of texture and heartiness, not to mention tons of beneficial vitamins and protein.

PREP TIME    10 MIN   

BAKE TIME    10 MIN

YIELDS    16-20 COOKIES 

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas

1/2 cup plain, fat free yogurt (or sugar free applesauce)

1/4 cup honey preferably local Organic, aides w allergies (eye it)

1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (or more honey)

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup buckwheat flour (or almond flour)

1 cup shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon iodized salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together the bananas, yogurt and honey for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the sunflower seeds, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture along with coconut. Mix thoroughly to combine. 

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheet, placing them about 2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals which can reduce the
symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where
free radicals and inflammation play a big role.

The minerals and vitamins in sunflower seeds also can greatly help reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, and prevent migraine headaches, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.





Sources
The World's Healthiest Foods