Dairy-free, four ingredient smoothie

It's been a crazy few months and I now live in Singapore, where cooking at home has become a rarity. However, I am going to endeavour to cook when I can and share great tasting recipes to make quickly and without spending too much money on stuff that's good for you.

Easing myself back into it with a simple four ingredient smoothie. There is absolutely no added sugar as the sugar of the banana packs enough sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 x banana
A small handful of blueberries
1 cup of organic Oat Milk
6 x ice cubes

Directions:

There's only one step here, put all the ingredients into the blender, turn it on and blend for 1 min and then serve.

Perfect for a quick breakfast or a snack on the go. Enjoy!

Flourless chocolate cakes

These are really quick to make and hit the spot for those who live a low sugar life. Now in this recipe I use glucose but you can use Stevia instead. Also look at the sugar levels on the back of the pack of chocolate it shouldn't be over 14g for a 100g pack. You only need 4 ingredients to make this!

Ingredients:

100g Lindt 85% dark chocolate

1/2 cup of glucose or 1 tsp stevia

3 eggs

60g organic unsalted butter

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius 
2. In a muffin tin place 9 cupcake cases into the 9 holes
3. Separate the eggs so all the whites are in one bowl and the yolks in another 
4. Over a pot of simmering water place a steel bowl and place inside it the dark chocolate and butter
5. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff peaks
6. Once the chocolate and butter has melted add the glucose and yolks and mix very quickly as the chocolate will start to harden
7. Add a scoop of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and fold gently until all incorporated 
8. Add the rest of the egg whites and fold until you get a lovely chocolatey mixture, be careful not to over fold the egg whites though as you want the air to stay in the mixture
9. With a tablespoon place the mixture into the cupcake cases 
10. Place in the oven and cook for 5 mins so it's gooey in the inside
11. Once done place on cooling rack or eat straight away

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!

Middle eastern rice (Hashwe)

I haven't eaten rice in probably 8 months, but due to my dietician telling me I needed more carbs in my life and that she would like me to eat brown rice as part of a low FODMAP lifestyle I have been having it in small amounts this past month.

This is an Arabic rice dish that is accompanied by roasted chicken, a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a green salad dressed with lemon juice, salt and olive oil. But it is just as good all on its own!

Ingredients:

150g minced beef or lamb
1.5 cups brown rice
2.5 cups water
1 Tbsp mixed spice (check to make sure it has no onion powder in it)
1 Tbsp Himalayan pink sea salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1/2 cup flaked almonds

Directions:

1. In a bowl add in the brown rice, minced meat and all the spices
2. With clean hands combine all the ingredients so the meat is evenly distributed
3. Place the mixture in a pot and add the water. You may wish to add extra salt to the water but I prefer to under-salt than over-salt
4. Once the water boils turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins or until the rice is cooked
5. In a frying pan add the flaked almonds and allow to cook on high heat until they start browning - watch them carefully you do not want them to burn
6. Serve by placing Arabic rice in a plate and drizzling with a small handful of flaked almonds

Chocolate chia pudding

This is delicious, I adapted it off another recipe I saw but as always made it my own. If you want it to set properly you can leave it overnight. If you just want to enjoy the goodness that same night, leave it in the fridge for 15 mins and then devour it (in a healthy way of course!).

Ingredients:

1 cup Oat milk or Lactose-free milk or Almond milk (for this one I use Oat milk)
1 Tbsp Stevia (I used PureVia)
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 x vanilla pod

Directions:

1. Place cocoa in a bowl and pour in the cup of milk
2. Whisk until all mixed together
3. Scrape seeds from vanilla pod and place into bowl
4. Add chia seeds and Stevia and whisk mixture again
5. Pour mix into glass cups and place in fridge for a minimum of 15 mins or overnight for firmness
6. Serve

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

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

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!