Easiest and quickest quinoa salad

I have a confession, I don't ALWAYS feel like cooking. There are times where I just wish dinner was there waiting for me but, on the nights this isn't possible, this is a quick and healthy meal that always satisfies.

Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa
1/2 x cucumber
1 x carrot
4 thick slices of haloumi cheese
1/2 Tsp dried coriander
1/2 Tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp rice bran oil
1/2 lemon
1 x tomato

Directions:

1. Boil the quinoa with water in a pot over medium heat for 15 mins (or as the back of the packet suggests)
2. Drain water from quinoa once cooked and set quinoa aside in a bowl
3. In a frying pan add the rice bran oil and leave it for 30 secs over a medium heat so the oil gets hot
4. Add the haloumi slices into the pan and cook on each side until nice and golden
5. Chop cucumber into small squares and place into quinoa
6. Chop tomato into small squares and place into quinoa
7. Peel the carrot and then grate it finely - add the grated carrot to quinoa mix
8. take the haloumi out of the frying pan and cut into cubes the same size as you did the cucumber, then place in with quinoa
9. To dress the quinoa add the olive oil, sea salt, dried coriander, lemon juice and black pepper into the bowl
10. Mix all the ingredients together and then plate up!

Lamb ribs with beansprout avocado salad

While I have bouts of vegetarianism, it is difficult for me to give up meat. But if you are vegetarian, you can simply have the salad in this dish as it is wholesome and filling.

So this recipe makes one serving. Obviously double if it's for two people.

Ingredients:

3 x lamb ribs (they come in a pack of 6 usually)
100g organic beansprouts
1/2 red pepper (also known as capsicum for the Australians out there)
1 lebanese cucumber
1/2 avocado
1 x handful of chopped fresh coriander
1 x lime
2 Tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
1 Tsp paprika
1 Tsp all spice
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Lamb ribs

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees celcius
2. On a tray place the lamb ribs, coat with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tsp of salt, 1 Tsp all spice, the juice of half a lime and mix around using clean hands (optional: 1/2 tsp chilli flakes) 
3. Place lamb ribs in the oven and cook for 15-20 mins or until browned

Salad

1. Place washed beansprouts in a bowl with the chopped fresh coriander
2. Cut avocado into little squares and place in bowl
3. Do the same for the cucumber and red pepper, squares should be around 1cm thick all around but don't be too worried about precision
4. Add the juice of half a lime, a Tsp of salt and 1 Tbsp of olive oil
5. Mix together and place on flat plate
6. Take out lamb ribs and serve on top of the salad. Enjoy!

Bunless turkey burger

This is a recipe for those who enjoy a burger but their stomachs just can't handle the bread.
 

Ingredients:
  250g turkey mince
1 x onion finely diced
1 x egg
1 Tbsp mixed spice
2 x Tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
1 x handful of finely chopped parsley
1 x large aubergine
50g feta
2 Tbsp rice bran oil
 
Directions: 

1. Chop the aubergine into circles 1 cm thick and add a pinch of salt. Set aside
2. In a bowl add the turkey mince, onion, mixed spice, sea salt, parsley and egg
3. Mix well
4. Grab a heaped tablespoon full of the mix and flatten into a Pattie and place on a greaseproof sheet of paper
5. Once you have turned all the mix into patties place into the fridge
6. Heat fry pan and add oil
7. Place aubergine in hot oil and fry on both sides for 10-15 mins or until cooked through
8. Place aubergine on a paper kitchen towel to drain excess oil
9. Remove turkey patties from fridge and place in hot frying pan
10. Cook on both sides for 10 - 15 mins until completely cooked through. Place onto a plate
11. Chop feta lengthways 1cm thick
12. Place feta in frying pan and cook for 2 mins on each side

 
Assembling the burger:

1. Lay one slice of aubergine on a plate, followed by a turkey pattie and grilled feta
2. Top with another slice of aubergine

You can also add cranberry sauce before you put the top aubergine on (optional)
 
Bon appetit!

Aubergine and tomato sauce with konjac noodles

While I enjoy eating meat, I like to take a break from it a couple of times a week as meat can take more time to digest and can cause strain on your digestive system. 

Here is a really easy to make vegan recipe that is full of favour and doesn't make me crave meat. It's also carb free for those watching their sugar intake or are coeliac.

Ingredients:

1 x aubergine

1 x diced tomato

2 x garlic cloves minced

1 x finely diced onion

2 cups of filtered water

1 Tbsp olive oil or rice bran oil

1 Tsp Himalayan pink sea salt

1 Tsp dried parsley

1 Tsp dried oregano

1 Tsp creamed basil (or fresh basil if you prefer)

1 x pack of Slim noodles/ Konjac 

Directions:

1. Char-grill a whole aubergine by putting it whole on a gas stove and rotating every 30 seconds for 5 mins (It doesn't have to be cooked all the way through as it will finish off cooking later)
2. In a frying pan add oil, onions and garlic and let them sweat down for 2 mins on a medium heat
3. Chop up aubergine and add to frying pan
4. Stir for 2-3 mins until aubergine softens a bit further
5. Add diced tomatoes, oregano, salt, parsley and creamed basil and stir for another 2 mins
6. Add 1 cup of water gradually so it begins to form a sauce, don't put it all in at one time as it will take longer to reduce
7. Turn down the heat to simmer for 5-10 mins, if it reduces down too much just add slightly more water
8. While this is cooking, boil 1 cup of water in a small pot and add the Slim noodles - they will cook within 2-3 mins
9. Drain the noodles and pour into the frying pan, mixing the noodles and the sauce together for 1 minute
10. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Raw organic cocoa balls

You can make these little morsels of joy with cacao but I only had cocoa on hand. You need only a few ingredients for this. It's a delicious treat you can make as a gift for friends or just to munch on by yourself.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp organic coconut oil (softened)
2 Tbsp greens and black organic cocoa
150g ground almonds
2 Tbsp xylitol
3 Tbsp desiccated coconut

Directions:

1. Put the cocoa, ground almonds and xylitol in a bowl and mix together

2. Add coconut oil and mix thoroughly until the ingredients clump together. If necessary, add a touch more coconut oil

3. Take one heaped teaspoon of the mixture and put it in your palm and roll the mix into a ball

4. Roll the ball in desiccated coconut and repeat for the rest of the mix

5. Place all the balls in the fridge for an hour or two

6. Serve

Pan-fried salmon with chilli garlic prawns

Seafood is my joy and this dish always put a smile on my dial. It takes about 10-15 mins to make so there's no excuse in terms of having no time to cook.

Ingredients: 

1 x salmon fillet

50g shelled king prawns

4 x cloves of crushed garlic

1 Tsp chilli flakes

1 Tsp Himalayan sea salt

1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp rice bran oil

Directions:

1. In a frying pan pour in 1 Tbsp rice bran oil
2. Season the skin of the salmon with 1/2 a tsp of salt
3. Place salmon skin-side down in a sizzling pan
4. Cook for 2-3 mins on this side until the skin is nice and crispy
5. Turn the salmon and cook for a further 2 mins, then take out of the pan and set it aside somewhere warm
6. Add 1 Tbsp rice bran oil to frying pan and add in crushed garlic and the prawns
7. After 2 mins add the chilli flakes and cook for a further 3 mins
8. Turn off the heat and squeeze lemon juice into the pan
9. Immediately place prawns on top of salmon
10. Serve with green salad or broccoli cooked with oyster sauce

Low sugar luxurious chocolate mousse

This is one of my favourite desserts and it perks me up after a bad day. It is an occasional treat but careful it is addictive. For those avoiding caffeine you could make this with carob but for this recipe I have used dark chocolate.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
150g dark chocolate (I usually use chocolate that is over 70% as it has a lower sugar content but this is at your discretion)

Directions:

1. Place dark chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl
2. Separate the eggs, with one bowl holding egg whites only and the other the yolks
3. Use an electric blender to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. You know they are done when you can place the bowl over your head and nothing falls on you :P
4. Turn the heat off the pot of boiling water once the chocolate is melted 
5. Place the egg yolks into the chocolate and mix quickly
6. Remove the bowl from the pot and grab 2 tablespoons of the egg white mixture and fold into the chocolate gently
7. Once this is done fold the rest of the egg white mixture into the chocolate but be sure not to overwork as you still want it to be light and airy
8. Place the mixture into little cups and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight
9. You can serve with shavings of chocolate or any red berry

Healthy sugar free "Nutella"

So I don't touch Nutella any more. After reading the ingredients in it I was seriously put off by the amount of sugar in it and the fact they use modified palm oil. I decided to make my own version as essentially it's cocoa and hazelnuts, however I try to avoid caffeine so I made mine with carob. Carob tastes like chocolate but you can tell the difference, so if you're not avoiding caffeine then stick with raw cacao, which has been touted as better than cocoa.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 x cup of shelled and skinned hazelnuts (taking the skin off is a pain otherwise)

2 Tbsp carob powder (or raw cacao)
1 x vanilla pod
1 Tbsp of xylitol (or 1/2 Tbsp liquid stevia)

Directions:

1. Roast hazelnuts in the oven for 5-10 mins or until they get a nice colour on them. Make sure to watch them because if they burn your spread is ruined
2. Let cool for 5 mins and then place hazelnuts in food processor
3. Scrape out beans from vanilla pod and place in food processor along with the xylitol 
4. Scrape down hazelnut mix in food processor and keep it on for 10 mins until it starts to become like a spread consistency
5. Add the carob powder into the hazelnuts and allow to mix
6. Once the mixture is the same consistency as regular Nutella it's ready

Buckwheat flatbread (vegan, gluten free, dairy free)

I absolutely love this bread, I could eat it everyday but this girl has to watch her figure. This is a great replacement for any flatbread and can be cut up and baked to turn into nachos. Buckwheat is not wheat as the name assumes and is completely gluten free. The best thing about this recipe is it takes less than 10 mins to make and cook.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Buckwheat flour

1/2 cup room temperature water

1/2 Tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

1 Tbsp Rice bran oil

1 Tsp Olive oil

Directions:

1. Place buckwheat flour in a small bowl with salt
2. Make a hole in the centre and add olive oil and mix
3. Slowly add water until the mix becomes a batter, it can be a relatively watery batter which is fine
4. Set aside for 2 mins and heat up a fry pan
5. Add rice bran oil to the pan and distribute it evenly around
6. Pour buckwheat mix in pan and use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture out evenly and quite thin
7. Allow to cook on one side for 2 mins then flip over and cook on the other side for another 2 mins. If you want the bread more crispy cook for longer
8. Serve with eggs or fill with anything you like!

Fried aubergine with onion and tomatoes

Hope you all enjoyed the amazing weekend. Today's recipe is one you can make and have cold or hot. You can use it as a dip at parties or as a side dish or main - it's so versatile!

Ingredients:

1 x large aubergine (or eggplant for the antipodeans)
2 x cloves garlic crushed
1 x onion 
1 x tomato
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
2 Tbsp rice bran oil 
1 x handful of chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut onion in half and finely slice length ways
2. Cut aubergine into 2cm cubes and add 1 tsp of salt to bring out the water inside it 
3. Finely dice the tomato
4. In a frying pan add rice bran oil and let it heat up on a medium to high heat
5. Use a paper towel to dry off aubergine and add it to the pan with the onion and crushed garlic
6. Add turmeric and cayenne pepper straight away and stir
7. The aubergine will absorb a lot of the oil so if after 5 mins it isn't cooking quickly enough add a tiny dash more of rice bran oil
8. Cook until aubergine has softened and then add the tomato
9. Cook for an additional 5 mins and then add 1 tsp of salt
10. Garnish with parsley (optional)
11. Serve with Buckwheat flatbread or any other bread you choose (Buckwheat flatbread recipe to come...)

Labne (yoghurt) cheese

This is the easiest cheese you will ever make in your life. A bold statement but it really can't be simpler. This is a Middle Eastern cheese made purely from yoghurt. There are only two ingredients needed for this - full fat yoghurt and salt. I can eat a small bowl of this in a few days it's so moreish but super healthy.

 

 

You will need a cheesecloth or if you don't have one a white pillowcase turned inside out will do.

Directions:

1. Get a bowl and colander, and place colander on top of the bowl
2. Place cheesecloth in colander and spread it open 
3. Pour a tub of full fat natural or greek yoghurt (or you could have a mix of the two) into the cheesecloth.
4. Add half a tsp of salt to the yoghurt and give a small stir
5. Tie up cheesecloth
6. Add something heavy on top of the cheesecloth like a brick or some heavy books
7. Leave for a day so the water drips out of the yoghurt
8. After a day, untie the yoghurt and you can either place in a tupperware or if you plan to not eat it as quickly as I do, fill a sterilised jar up with olive oil and make small balls out of the cheese and drop them into oil. This will preserve it for ages

You spread this cheese like you would any cream cheese and sprinkle with some paprika, it is honestly delicious.

Until next time, happy eating!

Gluten free buckwheat bread

For those who are gluten intolerant, are on an anti-candida diet or just want to try a different type of bread this is my go to carb.

This is a recipe I've adapted from a forum about candida.

 When the bread gets stale they make delicious croutons.The basic recipe is as follows;

Ingredients:

3 cups buckwheat flour (don't use Bob's Mill brand or it will be very dark)

3 x Organic Free Range Eggs OR 3 x Tbs flaxseed mixed with 9xTbs water

1 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt 

2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Rice bran oil 

1.5 cups water 

1 Tsp baking soda (check the ingredients for no added nasties)

1 x sprig of rosemary (optional)

1 x minced garlic clove (optional)

Directions:

1. Line bread tin with grease proof paper (you can add butter to the tin to make paper stay better)
2. In a bowl sift in buckwheat
3. Add salt, oil, eggs and baking soda
4. Drizzle in 1.5 cups water as you don't want to put too much but it is a wet dough
5. Let it rest for in a warm area for an hour before baking, it can turn out without resting but do this at your own risk
6. Bake for 5o minutes in a moderate oven (around 180 degrees celcius), it may take less time the hint is when you start getting the nice smell of baked bread it is done. You can check by putting a skewer in the middle to test it, if it comes out clean it's done
7. Let cool for 10 mins, then take out of the tin and let it cool on a wire rack

Optional: Put loads of nice spices in it like rosemary and thyme and garlic after Step 4 to give it flavour or have it plain and use it as toast and put a variety of spread on it

Molokhia Nashfeh (Dried Jew's Mallow stew)

This is one of my favourite Arabic dishes. Molokhia is similar to spinach but is slimier in texture once cooked. Don't be put off by this as it has amazing flavour.

You will need the following ingredients:

400g Molokhia Nashfeh (Dried Jew's Mallow) - you can either make this yourself by drying fresh Molokhia or buy it ready made from an Arabic grocer
200g diced lamb shoulder
1 Tbsp mixed spice
1 Tsp pepper
2 Tbsp dried coriander
1 head of garlic - minced (must be fresh)
1 x lemon
4 cups of water
1 Tbsp Himalyan sea salt

Directions:

1. Boil lamb in water with mixed spice and pepper
2. Skim off any of the fat/scum from the top of the water
3. When it's half-cooked add in the Molokhia
4. In a frying pan you want to fry a head of crushed garlic and 2 tablespoons of dried coriander
5. Once it's nicely cooked (not browned) put it into the Molokhia
6. Add the juice of one lemon to the stew and let it all cook together for 5 mins
7. Also add salt to taste at this stage
8. Serve it with buckwheat groats with a slice of lemon on the side

Blueberry smoothie with lactose-free yoghurt

I made this the other day when I was craving something cold and refreshing but healthy. This is so simple to make and you can replace lactose-free yoghurt with natural or greek style yoghurt.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp lactose-free yoghurt
1 x punnet of blueberries
1/4 cup cold water
6 x ice cubes
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp xylitol
1 x vanilla pod

Directions:

1. Combine blueberries, lactose-free yoghurt, cold water, ice cubes, ground flaxseed and xylitol in a blender
2. Scrap out vanilla beans from vanilla pod and add to mixture in blender
3. Put lid on and blend
4. Serve in a tall glass and enjoy!

Family recipe with a twist: Bamyeh (okra stew)

The twist for this dish is I serve it with buckwheat groats instead of rice. Buckwheat is a great source of fibre and is gluten free and wheat free. It replaces most of my former carb intake, which consisted of pasta, rice and wholemeal bread. The perfect thing is it doesn't bloat you, it doesn't raise your blood sugar levels and it slowly releases energy keeping you fuller for longer.

Bamyeh is a traditional dish from the Middle East that my mum used to make all the time growing up. I hated vegetables at the time, but for some reason okra never registered as a vegetable to me as it was so ingrained in my everyday.

So here's the dish, please let me know if you have any questions.

Ingredients:

200g okra (also called lady fingers)
150g cubed lamb shoulder (you can cut these into smaller pieces if you like)
1 x head of garlic
1 Tbsp mixed spice
1 Tbsp Himalayan sea salt
1 Tbsp white pepper
1 x lemon
2 Tbsp tomato concentrate
1 x tin of organic chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp dried coriander
2 Tbsp of olive or rice bran oil
4 cups of water
150g Buckwheat groats - (to be cooked just like rice)

Directions:

1. Boil buckwheat groats with water and a pinch of salt as if you were cooking rice, once cooked set aside
2. For the stew, crush a whole head of garlic and chop okra into smaller pieces if they are too big
3. Cut up lamb shoulder or whatever cut you like (can even make it with beef) and add to a pot to quickly sear it
4. Add okra with half the garlic to the pot and add mixed spice and pepper
5. Pour water over it and let it boil for a bit
6. Skim off any scum on top of the water to make sure the broth is clear
7. Cook for around 10 mins then add a tin of tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of tomato concentrate
8. Let cook for another 20-30 mins.
9. In a fry pan cook the remaining garlic with lots of olive oil and a tablespoon of dried coriander (you could also use rice bran oil)
10. Add to the pot of okra stew
11. Add salt to taste
12. Serve with buckwheat groats and a lemon wedge as lemon brings out the flavour 

Flourless chocolate brownies - gluten free and no sugar

Tonight was my first attempt at a flourless chocolate brownie. Was delicious and I tweaked it from a recipe I got from allrecipes.co.uk for a flourless chocolate cake.

Ingredients:

100g 85% Lindt dark chocolate
150g organic unsalted butter
80g Greens and Black Organic Cocoa
2 x vanilla pods
3 x eggs
150g Xylitol (this is a sugar alcohol that I used to replace sugar)
100g strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (gas mark 2). Grease an 20cm round cake tin, and dust with cocoa powder.
2. Separate the eggs and set aside the yolks for later
3. Whisk the egg whites until they are soft peaks
4. In a bowl over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter
5. Scrap vanilla beans out of pods
6. Once melted remove chocolate and butter from the heat and let cool for about a minute
7. Stir in egg yolks, xylitol, cocoa and vanilla
8. Gently fold in a heaped tablespoon of the beaten egg whites into the mix
9. Put mix into bowl of remaining egg whites and fold gently until egg whites can no longer be seen
10. Pour into the prepared cake tin.
11. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely
12. Serve with slices of strawberry, you could also serve with melted dark chocolate or raspberries