Raw Courgette Pesto

Ingredients:

250gr Courgettes

50gr. Almonds

20 Basil Leaves

Garlic (optional)
Cherry Tomatoes

Pine Nuts

E/V Olive Oil
Salt

How to Make it:

Shred the courgettes, almond and pine nuts.
Pour into a blender, and add the oil, basil leaves, garlic and a pinch of salt.
Once smooth, it's ready to serve. I would suggest adding a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice as an addition once it's served.

Enjoy! xx

How to Make Flax Eggs

I am starting to use flax eggs instead of normal free-range eggs, in order to change some of my recipes into vegan recipes.

They don't alter the taste, are super easy to make, and allow for the same texture as eggs, keeping the recipe vegan-friendly.

So today I want to share with you the recipe to make them so you can see just how simple it really is. This might just be the solution you have been waiting for and they feature in my delicious new (vegan) carrot cake recipe!

Image Credit: @theleanandcleaneatingmachine

Ingredients:

Freshly-Ground Flaxmeal

Water

How to Cook:

Simply stir 1tbsp of flaxmeal for every 3tbsp of water.

Mix until blended. This makes 1 flax egg.

How easy was that?? 

So the rule of thumb for making recipes vegan and swapping ingredients is:

1:1

Swap each 1 normal egg for 1 flax egg.

And away you go!

Enjoy xx

Raw Gooey Brownies

Someone told me about this recipe about a month ago. At the time, I was unsure about a raw dessert with a base of dates (I am not a fan of dates usually...). 

But I was hosting, and the pressure of having friends over and impressing them with my 'healthy food was too much and I ended up giving in to the curiosity. 

They are now, my favourite 'healthy' treat! 

Watch out for those calories though... all that cacao, dates, nuts and agave may be a healthier option ingredient-wise but as far as calories go, it's still a killer. 

But they are sooooo goooood...

Ingredients:

100g of pecans

4 tbsp of raw cacao (or to taste)

3 tbsp of agave (or to taste)

300g of medjool dates

 (I know - a dessert with 4 ingredients - eeeeeasy!)

How to Make it:

Ground the pecans, blend the dates and mix them together with the cacao and the agave in the blender/food processor. It will be hugely sticky and messy, but that's half the fun. Don't worry if bits get stuck to the blades, they are easily removed with a silicone spoon. It actually rinses out afterwards surprisingly well! I thought I would have had to scrub for ages with all that stickiness - impressed with the lack of hassle after the fun baking times!

When it's all nicely blended, place in a container suitable for freezing or refrigerating and spread otu nicely to even the surface. 

Leave in freezer for an hour, or if you are blessed with a a little more time, then leave in fridge for 3-4 hours. Then, remove, cut and serve. I love them also with a side of strawberries or raspberries!

They are best kept in the fridge. They are also dangerously delicious though, so I usually avoid making them too small and bite-sized, or I end up snacking on them every time I open the fridge...!

Enjoy! xx

Raspberry Sorbet

 

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 handful of raspberries - sliced, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/2 cup white corn syrup

How to Make it:

Bring the sugar and 2 cups of water to boil, on medium heat in a saucepan. Then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Place the raspberries and lime juice in a food processor and puree together completely. Press the raspberry puree through a strainer to remove any seeds. When the sugar syrup has cooled completely, combine with the raspberry puree. Add the corn syrup and stir well. Now we have two options:

1. If you are fortunate enough to have an ice-cream maker (I don't like you! Mega-jealous), then just pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze. 

2. IF, like me, you don't have an ice-cream maker - because who actually does, right?! - then the following instructions are for you: Pour the mixture into an air-tight container and freeze solid. Then blend until smooth, pour into an air tight container and place freeze again. Whisk every 20 minutes for the first 2 hours, and then freeze until solid. (Tip: If you are making this for a dinner party or special occasion - why else? - start preparing this dessert first, and whilst all the freezing and whisking is taking place you can be preparing and cooking your main, starter or actually getting ready!)

Enjoy with a handful of fresh raspberries of blackberries. Or with a side serving of FF Chocolate Brownies. Yum! x

Recipe and photo courtesy of : Food Network.

Home-Made Guacamole

I absolutely love guacamole. And it's even better when it's home-made as you can ensure quality of ingredients and avoid preservatives.

It is very high in protein but also unfortunately quite caloric. So please eat in moderation. 

Ingredients:

1.5Cup (one can) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1Cup fresh spinach
1Tbsp. of olive oil
Half a large ripe avocado
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

How To:

Toss it all in a food processor and whirl away! Enjoy as a dip with crackers or veggies, or as a spread on sandwiches (it's great with with smoked salmon!). 

Happy Blending :) x

Baking Amaranth Yeast-Free Bread

Aren't we all fed up of buying broken, crumbled or dry GF bread in our local supermarkets? I for one am tired of it and of the constant disappointment. Which is why years ago, I converted to corn and rice cakes as my alternative to bread.

The other day, I discovered a recipe for Amaranth yeast-free bread and was amazed. 

So here it is, please let me know how you get on.

Search for snacks and sandwiches ideas on my blog to perfectly compliment your freshly baked Amaranth bread. Enjoy it! x

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups of amaranth flour
1 cup plus 2tbsp arrowroot powder
3tsp baking soda
¾tsp vitamin C powder (optional)
½tsp of salt
¼cups of applesauce
2tbsp of olive oil
1½ cups of water

How to:

Combine flour, arrowroot, baking soda, vitamin C and salt in a large bowl.

Mix applesauce, oil and water.

Stir into dry ingredients until just blended.

Pour into greased 8 X 4 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Turn out immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Number of Servings: 14

Happy Baking! x

Interesting Fact: Amaranth’s protein content is about 13 percent, or 26 grams per cup, which is much higher than for most other grains. To compare, a cup of long-grain white rice has just 13 grams of protein.

Chestnut Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

White Wine, Mushrooms, Garlic, Oil, Bay Leaf, Salt, Brandy, Onion, Risotto Rice, Vegetable Stock, Fresh Parsley.

How to cook it:

First we are going to cook the mushrooms:

In a pan, add the sliced mushrooms, a dash of white wine, a clove of garlic, a drizzle of oil, a bay leaf, a pinch of salt, and a splash of brandy to add a sweet aromatic taste.

Cook the mushrooms on a high heat, so they release their water and then will reabsorb it.

Once they have re-absorbed it fully, switch off and leave to one side.

Now let's cook the risotto:

Stir Fry the chopped up shallot. Add the risotto rice and toast it. 
(click here for help with measuring risotto rice portions: 
http://seewhatucaneat.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/how-to-measure-risotto-rice-portions.html)
Add white wine, and let it evaporate. Add the broth made with water and vegetable stock until the rice is fully covered. Leave to simmer. 

If the risotto water starts to be all soaked up by the rice or evaporating, and the rice grain is still hard, you need to add more broth. The result at the end should be of a soft rice grain without any water left in the pan, so add the water slowly and keep stirring to allow for the whole rice grain to absorb the water.

Once it's nearly cooked, add the mushrooms to the risotto pan.

Stir well until everything is cooked, ready and . If needed add some salt.

Once you are happy with the texture, serve immediately and season with some black pepper and some fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Raw Wonder

Completely Raw Wonder :)

Whilst I was putting this together, I had fun looking in the fridge through different things I could add rendering a composition of beautiful, natural colours to the dish.

Keeping in mind the aim of a delicious meal, and making sure to remain healthy, my Raw Wonder Salad delivered all of these. And in only 10 minutes!

                           

Ingredients:

Strawberries, Avocado, Tomato, Lamb Lettuce, Apple, Baby Courgettes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Linseed, Pine Nuts.

Enjoy Eating x

Interesting Facts: Pine Nuts

1. Pine nuts are rich in Vitamins A and lutein, both of which are known to support sharper vision.

2. They contain heart-friendly monounsaturated fat.

3. Pine nuts build stronger bones, thanks to their Vitamin D content.

4. They boost immunity, because they’re rich in Vitamin C.

5. Pine nuts contain pinoleic acid, which makes you feel fuller faster, and thus aids in weight loss.

6. They are a good source of iron, which is good news for the circulatory and nervous system.

7. The little nut fights free radicals, thus giving Father Time a run for his money.

8. The protein and magnesium in pine nuts makes them an excellent source of energy, so whenever you’re feeling tired, pop a few and feel like new!

Interesting Fact Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-incredible-health-benefits-of-pine-nuts.html#ixzz3OvutV7Ea

Risotto alla Zucca

Here is a simple step-by-step process to making this wonderful dish:

Prepare the pumpkin but cutting it and de-seeding it. 

Pan fry the shallots in oil until brown, then add the rice.

Add the broth until the rice is fully covered.

Add the mashed pumpkin previously cooked in the steamer.

Stir well.

Add the lemon zest.

Ingredients:

Oil, Shallots, Pumpkin, Lemon Zest, Vegetable Stock, Water, White Wine.

How to Cook it:

Stir Fry the chopped up shallot. Add the risotto rice and toast it. Add the white wine, and let it evaporate. Add the broth made with water and vegetable stock until the rice is fully covered.

Leave to simmer. Meanwhile, we need to prepare the pumkin. Start by removing the pumpkin peel and carve out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into medium size bits and cook in your microwave steamer until fully cooked.

If the risotto water starts to be all soaked up by the rice or evaporating, and the rice grain is still hard, you need to add more broth. The result at the end should be of a soft rice grain without any water left in the pan, so add the water slowly and keep stirring to allow for the whole rice grain to absorb the water.

Once the pumpkin is cooked, mash it in a side plate and then add to the risotto pan.

Stir well until everything is cooked and ready. If needed add some salt. At the last minute add the lemon zest.

Once you are happy with the texture, serve immediately and season with some black pepper. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Almond Butter Pad Thai

This looks so yummy!

I came across this and thought it was a great idea to incorporate the almond butter into the recipe.

I had to modify the recipe a little bit to take out the ingredients which we cannot have, but it will still taste really good!

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. organic almond butter
1 tsp. honey
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 cups bean sprouts
8 oz.  rice noodles
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
1 Tbsp. pistachios, crushed
1/6 tsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
Lime wedges, for serving

How to cook it:
Prepare rice noodles, drain and set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine almond butter, honey and lime juice. Set aside.
In wok, stir fry almond butter mixture, bean sprouts, and noodles.  Continue to mix until sauce thickens.
Transfer to serving dishes.
Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh ginger, scallions, ground flax seeds, pistachios, orange zest and fresh basil.  Garnish with lime wedges. Enjoy.

Source: http://www.glutenfreefaces.com