Cinnamon Apple + Zucchini Spice Muffins for blood sugar balance plus Lasagna Roll-ups for dinner and Nest Favorites too!

Lasagna Rolls Ups + Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Zucchini Muffins

These are quite possibly the perfect Late Summer/ Early Fall muffins. If you have an abundance of apples or zucchini, make these muffins this weekend, and you will not regret it! If you have tried and loved my lemon blueberry muffins, the cake component of these muffins is very similar but with added fall spices and, of course, either grated apple or grated zucchini.

I am still getting the hang of creating content here on Substack, and I appreciate your patience while I figure it all out. I received feedback that you want the recipes to be printable, like on my website, so I have created a PDF for these recipes that you can print. I will still write out the recipe in the post (along with video clips!), but I have also attached PDFs for you and CGM (continuous glucose monitor) data too!

Cinnamon Apple Muffins or Zucchini Muffins

Gluten-free, low carb, blood sugar friendly

One easy recipe, two delicious flavors! The recipe is the same whether you make these with grated apple or grated zucchini, and both are moist and tasty! Do not skip the spicy, sweet glaze- it is pretty special, if I do say so myself!

MAKES 10 MUFFINS

Equipment

• mixing bowl

• muffin pan

• muffin liners

Ingredients

Muffin Batter

• 2 cups almond flour

• 3 tbsp vanilla protein powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp cardamom

• ⅛ tsp ground cloves

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 3 large eggs

• 1/4 cup coconut oil or ghee, melted

• 1/4 cup maple syrup or keto syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup grated apple (I used one large Gravenstein apple grated with a box grater, and I did leave the apple peel on) OR 1 cup grated zucchini, peel on; do not squeeze liquid out of grated zucchini)

• Optional: add ½ cup chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or your favorite!

• Optional: add ½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips to the zucchini muffins!

Muffin Glaze

• 6 tbsp powdered monk fruit sweetener (to keep these low-carb and blood-sugar-friendly)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½  tsp cardamom

• one pinch of ground cloves

• 6 tsp milk of choice (I used walnut milk, but you can use any dairy or non-dairy unsweetened milk)

Method

Make the Muffin Batter

1. Preheat oven to 350℉

2. Add almond flour, protein powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well using a whisk or a fork.

3. Mix the eggs, melted oil or ghee, syrup, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well once again.

5. Fold the grated apple (or zucchini) into the batter and spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into muffin papers or silicone muffin liners.

6. Bake in 350℉ degree oven for 22-25 minutes until light golden brown.

Make the Cinnamon  Glaze

1. While the muffins are baking, make the muffin glaze by mixing keto powdered sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Add milk of choice, and blend well.

2. When the muffins are cool, drizzle them with glaze, allow the glaze to dry, and enjoy!

3. These muffins are best kept in an airtight container on the counter if you will eat them within a couple of days or in the refrigerator if it will take you longer to enjoy them.

Nutrition Info. for one muffin, according to Cronometer:

207 cal, 8.7 g protein, 4.7 g net carbs, 17.7 g fat

My glucose response to 2 muffins: one apple cinnamon and one zucchini

download the recipe!

Cinnamon Apple Muffins Or Zucchini Muffins (2)

52.1KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Recipe by Beth Bollinger of Nest Wellness

gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb carb, and blood sugar-friendly

serves 4-6 (Makes 12 lasagna roll-ups)

I love this recipe for its simplicity. I love lasagna (and so does my family), but sometimes it is a lot more work than I want to do on a weeknight when I have worked all day and need to get dinner on the table! Lasagna roll-ups are make-ahead, freezer-friendly, can be reheated well, and, of course, they are blood sugar-friendly. This makes them an ideal choice for busy weeknights or meal prepping. The versatility of the ingredients allows for numerous adaptations; swap out fillings based on seasonal produce or personal preferences to keep the flavors fresh and exciting. 

Equipment

Skillet or Dutch oven

Slotted spoon

Lasagna or casserole dish 9 x 13

Mixing bowl

Fish spatula

Silicone spatula

Ingredients

• 12 yellow pea lasagna noodles (to keep this dish low-carb) 

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup onion, small dice

• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped

• 16 oz Italian sausage (I like Italian sausage from Wild Pastures). You can use any ground meat you like, including beef, bison, chicken, turkey, lamb, or venison (add 1 heaping tsp Italian seasoning and ½ tsp fennel seeds if you use unspiced meat)

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp sea salt code BETH for 10% off

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 24 oz marinara sauce (look for one without added sugar)

• 12 oz ricotta cheese (I used A2 ricotta from Bellwether Farms)

• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

• 3 cups manchego cheese, shredded, divided

• 1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish

Method

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. 

• Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes until just al dente. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and lay them flat (and not touching) on a sheet pan or cutting board to prevent them from sticking together.

• In a skillet or Dutch oven, add 2 tbsp olive oil to your pan over medium-high heat and cook onions until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add an additional 2 tbsp olive oil if needed. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and saute for another minute. Remove the mushroom and onions from the skillet and set aside in a medium-sized bowl.

• In the same pan, add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula, about 4 minutes. Add marinara, bring to a simmer, and turn off the heat. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan or casserole dish

• Add ricotta, 1 egg, parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups of manchego, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil to the bowl with the mushroom mixture. Mix with a fork or rubber spatula until well combined.

• Spread a tablespoon full of sauce on each noodle, then 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture over the sauce. Roll the noodles and arrange them in the prepared casserole dish.

• Spread the remaining meat sauce over the top of the roll-ups and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of manchego cheese over the whole thing. Bake at 350˚F for 40 minutes. (I said 375˚F in the video, but 350˚F is better)

• Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley, and enjoy!

My glucose response to an asparagus starter (steamed and drizzled with olive oil and sea salt) and then a serving of lasagna roll-ups:

download the recipe!

Lasagna Roll Ups (1)

55.3KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Cookware

If I had to pick my favorite kitchen utensil, it would have to be the fish spatula. I was first introduced to this unusual utensil by my husband's grandmother. Grammie used hers for everything, and now I do, too! I use my fish spatula daily with my cast iron pans, my stainless steel cookware, and for serving. If you’ve never owned one, you are missing out!

Supplements

Balance Healthy Elephant Vitamin B is the cleanest, most bioavailable B-complex on the market. Balance was created by Functional Medicine practitioner Melissa Hsu. I have been taking Melissa’s Balance B-complex for a little over a year now, and I highly recommend it. I take it in the morning with breakfast and find that my energy is not as stable and consistent if I miss a day.

This exceptional full-spectrum B-complex is beneficial for:

   – Energy
   – Hormone balance
   – Cognitive function
   – Thyroid
   – Mood stability
   – Immune system
   – Nervous system
   – Detoxification

It’s highly bioavailable because it’s in fully methylated and active forms rather than synthetic ones, requiring the body to convert. For example, about 75% of women have an MTHFR gene mutation and don’t convert folic acid from food (spinach, eggs, broccoli, etc..) or supplements (in folic acid form) sufficiently into methyl folate, which is the active form. This means that folic acid can accumulate, which may increase homocysteine and cause inflammation. Balance is made in methyl folate form so the body may uptake and readily utilize it without having to convert. Melissa is offering you 10% off to give it a try. Use code BETH10.

Foods

If you know me from Instagram, you probably know how much I love lupin pasta, lupin flour, and lupin beans for their high protein and fiber content and low carb content. Lupin beans are a complete source of protein, making them ideal for those eating a largely plant-based diet or for those of us watching our blood sugar. Eat Chef’s Kiss has just released their newest product: lupin spaghetti! The only USDA organic lupin spaghetti on the market. Eat Chef’s Kiss is offering you 20% off to try it. Use coupon code NEST20.

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