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

Lighter-than-Air Carrot Cake

For everyone who met me at my stall in 'As Nature Intended' today, thank you so much for being there and for all the stories and chats!

So many of you asked me for the recipe to my GF/DF/YF/SYF/NF Carrot Cake.

Well, here it is!
This is definitely an event favourite, and it's very light in texture and full of taste.

This recipe makes for two medium sized cakes.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (plus extra for dusting the pans - I use baking paper so I cut down on having to dust the pans).

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoon GF baking powder

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground ginger

450/500g of carrots

1 1/2 cups unrefined cane sugar

4 free-range eggs 
[ or for the vegan version 4 flax eggs (click here for Flax Eggs recipe) ]

3/4 cup vegetable oil

How to Cook It:

Hand whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, cloves and ginger together until nicely blended.

Peel and shred the carrots in a food processor (if you don't have one, peel the carrots really finely and then add to a hand-operated food chopper) until extremely fine.

To the flour mixture, add the eggs and oil and mix (either with a whisk or with a blender) until smooth.

Then add the carrots, and hand mix them in (don't blend this last step!)

Now you are ready to pour everything into the 2 medium sized cake pans and cook in the pre-heated oven for 180 degrees. 

I usually cook mine for 30-45mins. After 30 minutes I would advise you to take out the cake and insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean and 'not sticky' then the cake should be ready.

Enjoy! xx

If you want to add GF/DF/SYF/YS/Vegan icing to your Carrot Cake:

Ingredients:
8 cups of caster sugar
1 1/2 cups vegan butter
3tbsp of almond milk
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
2tsp vanilla extract
1tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

How to Make It:

Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and hand mix until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a tiny bit of almond milk at a time and see when you get the desired texture. 

Note: If you don't apply it to the cake straightaway, it will harden and set in the bowl. Usually it's enough to stir it a bit and it soften again right away - don't panic!

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!

Sweetheart Porridge

This Sweetheart Recipe was originally sent to me by 'Mornflake' as part of their 'Great British Porridge Challenge'.

It is a winner recipe. Perfect for breakfast, as a snack or dessert, both warming and filling.

Their original recipe used normal milk. I have swapped it with almond milk and the results are just as delicious.

Recipe details:

This recipe uses the natural sweetness of berries topped with the sweet treat of white chocolate. 

Serves: Two

Cooking & preparation time: 6 mins

Ingredients:

15g white chocolate

80g Mornflake jumbo oats

200ml almond milk

200ml cold water

80g frozen berries

1 dessertspoon runny British honey

How to Cook it:

Coarsely grate the white chocolate and set aside.  

Into a deep saucepan place the oats, water and almond milk.

Then put the saucepan over a high heat and cook for 2 mins stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the oats for a further 2-3 mins or until you have a nice creamy Porridge.

Pour the Porridge into two bowls.

Swirl the frozen berries into the Porridge (they will be like little frozen fruit pops!).

Top with a swirl of honey.

Finally garnish with the grated chocolate and serve hot to your sweetheart for breakfast. 

Enjoy! x

Green Vegetable Creme Blend

Ingredients:

Courgettes, Potatoes, Celery Sticks, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt.

How to cook it:

Boil the 5 courgettes, 2 big potatoes and 2 celery sticks. Once cooked, add 500ml of water - minimum-, oil and salt. Add more water if necessary to reach the desired texture. The amount of water really depends on the size of the potatoes. the bigger the potatoes, the more water is needed.

Enjoy! x

Wild & Organic Vegetarian Grill

This is a very simple but nutritious meal for my vegetarian friends.

Full of taste but light on the stomach.

Ingredients:

Wild Mushrooms, Organic Green Jerusalem Asparagus, Wild Baby Corn, Jasmine Thai Rice, Oil, Chilli Oil, Parsley, Garlic, Rock Salt.

How to cook it:

Steam your rice in the rice cooker. Pre-heat a pan, add rock salt, and then add the wild mushrooms, along with garlic and parsley. Cook until they soften, then serve and drizzle extra virgin olive oil. In a microwave steamer steam your asparagus and baby corn. Once cooked, serve next to the wild mushrooms, along with the rice. As a last touch, drizzle some chilli oil on top of everything to give it a bit of a kick.

Enjoy!

Risotto with Broccoli

This week's Risotto recipe is totally Vegetarian, and very filling.

Ingredients:

Arborio Risotto Rice, Broccoli, Oil, Vegetable Broth, Parsley, Onion, White Wine.

How to cook it:

Prepare the vegetable broth by boiling it and resting it in a measuring jug ready to add to the rice. Wash, dry and cut the broccoli. Place them in a pan with oil and onion and cook them. When they start to soften, add the rice and toast it in the oil and apple for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the vegetables broth enough to just cover the rice (do not pour it all in), and keep stirring until the rice has soaked up all the broth. Then repeat until the rice is fully cooked al dente. Once everything is fully cooked, add some fresh parsley leaving it to rest on top of the risotto so as just to infuse slightly. The taste of parsley is very string and be be overbearing if mixed in with the rice. Leave all to rest for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Interesting Fact: Broccoli originated in Italy off of the Mediterranean. It has been eaten there since the time of the ancient Romans in the 6th Century BC.  (Source: www.mindbodygreen.com)

Tomato, Avocado and Lime Salad with Crisp Tortillas

This is a great way to use up your avocados - for times when there is just no time to go through the effort of making guacamole.

This is a great tasting, fresh side dish, or even light lunch. 

Mexican but without the spiciness. Perfect.

Ingredients:

Lime, Avocados, Cilantro, Coriander, Cherry Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Corn Flour Tortillas, Sea Salt.

How to make it:

Slice the peeled avocados and remove the pits. Pour the lime juice and lime flesh over them. Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves. Add to the mix of avocados and lime, along with the cilantro, coriander and extra virgin olive oil. Toast the corn tortillas slightly under the grill (careful as they cook fast and burn easily). break them into pieces and add to the plate.

Source: Ryland Peter's and Small - Easy Vegan.

Manjit's Kale Chips

Thank you very much Manjit for sharing such a delicious recipe. 

Kale is not only very good for you but if cooked properly can be an excellent addition to your meal. These Kale Chips can be served as a side dish or as ingredients to a main meal.

Ingredients:

kale

olive oil as needed

himalayan pink salt

How to cook it:

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees. First wash the kale properly. Then dry it all with a clean cloth and make sure that all the water has dried off. With a knife carefully remove the thick stems and tear into small pieces.  Drizzle the Kale with extra virgin olive oil, making sure that all the Kale leaves are soaked in oil.  Massage the oil on both sides of the leaves making sure every bit is covered with oil. Sprinkle the Kale leaves with himalayan salt. (Please note that Himalayan salt is a delicatessen. If you do not have access to this, feel free to use any coarse or rock salt instead). Bake in the oven 180 degrees until crisp, it normally takes around 15-20 mins. Please check regularly, as some ovens may cook faster than others, to make sure that they do not burn (Kale leaves are quite thin so they could burn quickly). Once cooked and crispy, Enjoy!

Kale's Health Benefits:

High in Fiber and an excellent source of nutrients especially vitamin A and well-absorbed Calcium (this helps prevent osteoporosis). It is a great source of beta-carotene (a huge means in curing cancer and heart-disease). It also benefits from Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, Manganese and Potassium.

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

Artichoke & Pea Soup

Artichoke & Pea Soup

Ingredients:

Petit Pois 1kg, 4 Artichokes, 1/2 Lemon (Juice), Pancetta, (Shallot - if you can), Oil, Vegetable Broth 1/2 litre, salt, (Pepper - if you can).

How to cook it:

Remove the hard outer artichoke leaves. Remove the spikes, and cut into slices. Immerse them in lemon juice. If you can have shallot, dice half of it and fry it slightly in a pan. Add the artichokes to the pan after sieving them from the lemon juice, and add salt. Leave to cook on slow heat and cover with a lid. If necessary, add some of the vegetable broth to avoid the artichoke from burning or sticking to the pan. Cook until they are tender, and leave to one side. 

Finely chop the pancetta and add to the other half of the shallot which will also be finely sliced. Add both to a pot, with some oil and pan-fry quickly. then add the peas along with the remaining vegetable broth. Once the peas are fully cooked, blend them in the pot, creating a nice green passata. Then add to the pot the artichokes along with any sauce they have made. Leave everything to cook for another 10 minutes, add some extra virgin oil to finish and salt as needed. If you can add some pepper as a last flavouring. Enjoy!

Interesting Fact: Both peas and artichokes contain Vitamins A & B, and Iron. Both are great sources of energy.

Photo Credit: DeAgostini Mailing

Poached Eggs with Home-Made Herb Sauce

Poached Eggs with Home-Made Herb Sauce

Ingredients:

Free-Range Eggs, Watercress, Parsley, Capers, (Garlic - if you can), Pine Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, 3 tbsp Water, 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, Salt, Oil.

How to cook it:

Boil some water and add salt and vinegar. Break the eggs and add them slowly to the water. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes sieve them and rest them on kitchen paper to dry whilst we prepare the herb sauce.

To a blender add parsley, watercress, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, water, lemon juice, and salt. (and garlic if you can) Blend to create a nice creamy texture. If necessary add more water. Place the eggs on a plate and add the sauce on top. To finish sprinkle some capers, and add fresh parsley as decoration. Enjoy!

Interesting Fact: Watercress has dietary and detoxifying elements. By chewing the fresh leaves you tone the gums and help heal mouth ulcers.

Photo Credit: DeAgostini Mailing

Risotto alle Mele

Risotto alle Mele a.k.a. Apple Risotto

Ingredients:

Arborio Risotto Rice, 2 Apples, Oil, Vegetable Broth, Nutmeg, White Pepper.

How to cook it:

Prepare the vegetable broth by boiling it and resting it in a measuring jug ready to add to the rice. Wash, dry and peel the apples. Cut them clean, and dice them. Place half of them in a pan with oil, and poach them. When they start to soften, add the rice and toast it in the oil and apple for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the vegetables broth enough to just cover the rice (do not pour it all), and keep stirring until the rice has soaked up all the broth. Then repeat until the rice is fully cooked al dente. At about half way through cooking the rice add the other half of the diced apples. Once everything is fully cooked, add some white pepper and nutmeg , and leave to rest for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Interesting Fact: Cooking apples is a tradition as old as stone age.

Spelt Tagliatelle al Basilico

Spelt Tagliatelle al Basilico

Ingredients:

Spelt Tagliatelle, Plum Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Oil, Salt.

How to cook it:

In a pot of boiling water cook the tagliatelle. In a separate pan drizzle some oil,  and add the finely chopped plum tomatoes, sprinkle salt and cover with a lid to bubble away for at least 10 minutes.

Once the pasta is ready, drain, and add to the sauce pan. To finish off add some fresh basil leaves, and add some extra virgin olive oil to sweeten up the flavours. Enjoy!

Minestrone with Spelt Pasta and Fresh Basil

Minestrone with Spelt Pasta and Fresh Basil

Ingredients:

Carrots, Potatoes, Courgettes, Spelt Pasta, Oil, Salt, Fresh Basil.

How to cook it:

In your pressure cooker add the carrots, potatoes and courgettes. Cook until ready then blend. In a separate pot add boiling water, and cook the spelt pasta. Once ready drain the water and add the pasta to the soup. Add some fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt for great added taste. Enjoy!

Uovo alla Coque con Pane di Farro

Uovo alla Coque con Pane di Farro a.k.a. Soft Boiled Egg with Spelt Bread

Ingredients:

Egg, Spelt Bread, Salt.

How to cook it:

 Boil some water in a pot. Add the egg delicately with the help of a spoon so as not to crack it and leave to cook for 3 minutes. With the help if the same spoon, fish the egg back out and place it on an egg holder. Toast some spelt bread and use it to dip it into the egg, once you have cracked open the top. I would recommend to add some salt to the egg. Enjoy!