Gut Nourishing Stewed Apples

Need a gastrointestinal support that is affordable, tastes heavenly, and will make your house smell like a freshly baked apple pie? 

Then look no further, because this stewed apple recipe checks all the boxes! 

I can’t take all the credit - this simple recipe that I’m sure you have made before but not realizing it’s magical GI powers, came from Dr. Tom O’Bryan - leading expert on gluten and Autoimmune disease. Essently, this recipe is applesauce, but cooked in such a way as to really bring out the pectin from the apple skins, which is a wonderful prebiotic, and very nourishing for the microbiome. 

Apples contain pectin which has many health benefits. When cooked, the pectin inside the skin is easily accessible to the microbiome in the colon and helps to repopulate beneficial flora and helps heal leaky gut. When taken daily (at least 2 large spoonfuls daily) many clients of mine have noticed regular bowel movements and less bloating. 

Pair stewed apples with plain greek or coconut yogurt, oatmeal, smoothie, or with a meal. My go-to dinner lately has been adding a dollop of stewed apples over grilled pork chops with a side of baked sweet potato and kerry gold butter. Delicious! 

Last thing, apples are considered a high FODMAP food, so if you are sensitive, this may not be the best food first prebiotic approach for you! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 4 organic apples, washed, seeded, chopped, but not peeled!

• Filtered water

• 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

• 2 Tbsp raisins (optional, sweet preference)

Directions

1. Add apples, cinnamon, and optional raisins to a saucepan and barely cover with filtered water. Bring to a boil ~ about 8-10 minutes. 

2. As the mixture is boiling, watch the apple skins. When the skins begin to take on a sheen, the apples are done. Turn off the heat. 

3. If there is water leftover, you can drain it or I personally use it to make adrenal cream cider!

4. Eat 2-4 spoonfuls daily to support your gut lining and microbiome - enjoy!

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins - The ultimate cozy accompaniment to soups, stews, chilis, and more! (gluten and dairy-free)

Another cornbread recipe!? Yes ma’am! This time, we are just going straight into a muffin tin vs cast iron skillet. Why? Well...I tend to just eat straight out of the skillet in one sitting so individually portioned muffins are what I need in life. Haha

Muffins are fun, in general though! But now that I’m thinking about it, I believe I have more muffin recipes on the blog than anything else! Enough small talk, let’s just dive right into this recipe!

I do have to preface by saying that if you don’t like the taste of pumpkin or team no #psl, then please don’t leave! Haha I want to assure you that these pumpkin cornbread muffins actually don’t taste like pumpkin. If anything, they taste more like a jiffy style cornbread flavor. The sole reason pumpkin puree is used in this recipe is because of texture and nutrients!

Though I love my gluten-free cornbread skillet recipe, and yes, these are gluten-free as well. This cornbread recipe just might have that one beat! The pumpkin puree adds a new level of fluffy texture while elevating the flavors! And yes, there is a small amount of pumpkin spice seasoning in the batter, but again, it just elevates the corn flavor in the cornbread which makes it completely neutral if that makes sense. 

So feel free to eat these classic with a pad of grass-fed butter and honey, or accompany to comfort dishes like chicken zoodle soup, creamy tomato pesto soup, butternut squash, kale, and white bean lasagna soup, veggie beef stew, or mexican harvest turkey chili.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins - The ultimate cozy accompaniment to soups, stews, chilis, and more! (gluten and dairy-free)

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20 min Serving Size: 12 standard muffins/ 6 large muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten-free cornmeal 

• ¾ cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour

• ¾ cup plant based milk (or your favorite)

• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

• ¼ cup coconut sugar

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp pumpkin spice seasoning

• ¼ tsp pink himalayan sea salt

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out milk and add the 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Mix until combined and set aside. This is how to create “buttermilk” the plant-based way!

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

3. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spice seasoning and salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients (ie “buttermilk”, pumpkin, lightly beaten eggs, and oil). Stir until combined and no dry clumps remain. 

4. Scoop batter into a standard 12-cup muffin tin or a large 6-cup muffin tin (spray or grease if not nonstick). 

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through (a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin and it comes out clean) and slightly golden. 

6. Allow to cool slightly, then serve warm with a pad of grassfed butter and/or honey. 

Notes

• Like a spicy kick in your cornbread muffins? Feel free to mince 1 jalapeno or green chilis and add to batter.

Shop our favorite tools + ingredients for this recipe!

Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions

Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions - Heart-healthy toast that is great for #toasttuesday, lunch, or as an appetizer!

Not going to lie, this was my first sardine recipe on the blog as well as my first sardine recipe creation to date! I’m not quite sure why it has taken me until now because I love all things fish! The only thing I can come up with is that I think it’s the most underrated fish in the nutrition world and because it’s not the most photogenic thing to shoot. But...that’s just me!

But if you are hesitant about sardines or automatically thinking of another fish to sub out for this recipe, don’t do it! 

Flavor-wise - go with smoked sardines as it’s reminiscent of smoked salmon. Hello, bagel and lox or my everything bagel and lox socca pizza! 

Health-wise - Heart-healthy benefits including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, and magnesium.

Want to know more about sardines!? Check out my fellow FNTP gal pal and creator of #sardineweek, Kendall McKinven IG page on all things sardines! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions - Heart-healthy toast that is great for #toasttuesday, lunch, or as an appetizer!

Ingredients

Toast

• 2 slices of sourdough bread or bread of choice

Spread

• ¼ cup Goat cheese, plain greek yogurt, or dairy/non-dairy spread of choice

Radicchio Salad

• ½ head of radicchio (finely chopped)

• 5 radishes (thinly sliced)

• 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced)

• 5-10 olives (sliced in half)

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves (minced or sliced)

• 1 tsp (or more) red hot chili flakes

• S&P

Pickled Onions

• ½ red onion (thinly sliced)

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup (or another sweetener)

• Filtered water

1 can smoked sardine filets of choice (wild-caught & sustainable)

Garnish

• Lemon juice, sea salt flakes, fresh dill, extra virgin olive oil, capers, chili flakes

Directions

1. In a 16 oz mason jar, place thinly sliced onions in a 16 oz mason jar or jar of choice. Add apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and sweetener of choice. Fill to the top with filtered water. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Make sure the onions are evenly coated with the vinegar mixture. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, add chopped radicchio and sliced radishes, cucumbers, and olives. In a small saucepan, heat oil on low-medium heat and add garlic. About halfway when the garlic is turning brown, sprinkle chili flakes. Once the garlic and chili flakes are aromatic, turn the heat off. Let the oil mixture cool before tossing it into the salad until fully coated. Season with S&P. 

3. To assemble your smoked sardine toast: toast 2 slices of sourdough bread, spread dairy/nondairy mixture, top with radicchio salad mixture, pickled onions, 2-3 sardine filets per toast and garnish with desired toppings. Enjoy! 

4. **For the pickled onions - Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks. Great as a garnish on tacos, eggs, or making more smoked sardine toasts! 

5. **You will have leftover radicchio salad which is great as a side dish, turn into a meal by adding a fish of choice, or making more smoked sardine toasts! 

INGREDIENTS/KITCHEN TOOLS USED FOR THIS RECIPE:

Smoked sardine filets, mandolin (vegetable) slicer, 16 oz mason jar