15 LichField Road556835 Singapore
I have never been fond of Starbuck drinks or never even put any milk in my coffee or tea. Don’t know why, but I have always found weird and “heavy” to associate milk and sugar / flavours to already super flavourful drinks. But one day, I was attending an Ayurveda cooking class and I tried a golden milk. I had been explained the health benefits of drinking it regularly and found the colour so beautiful… It was not bad at all actually. Tried to make it at home again a few times, and after a few trials, came up with the combination below that satisfies my tastebuds and makes me feel good. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and anti oxydant, so are ginger and cinnamon. For cinnamon, please try to only purchase the real stuff from Sri Lanka (Cassia one is not so good actually – from both a flavour and health perspective…).
One last think you could add to make this drink even one step healthier is adding a little black pepper as its piperine boosts absorption of the turmeric nutrients 🙂
I use hazelnut milk but of course almond, cashew or even oat can work also. Try it and adjust sweetness to your tastebuds. Any left overs can be kept for 2/3 days and used to soak your chia seeds or make your overnight oat porridge (YUMMMM). Recipe just below. Enjoy and do you Good !
Ingredients
400 ml plant based unsweetened milk (I usually do 250 ml hazelnut + 150 ml almond or / 200 ml cashew and 200 ml almond or all almond)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 whole cinnamon stick (real Sri Lankan one)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tsp maple syrup (according to your sweet tooth, I don’t use if I use cashew milk which is already naturally sweet 🙂
Put all your ingredients in a pan and whisk. Leave at medium heat for about 5 min, whisking regularly. Be careful not to boil it
Remove the cinnamon stick, taste and adjust sweetness and spices if needed (if you’d like add a pink of black pepper to boost antioxydants intake 🙂 and serve or transfer to a container and keep in the fridge, once cooled down. Can keep for a few days, and reheat to drink or use as a base for golden chia puddings or porridges 🙂
I guess many of my readers are currently working from home, and craving for their morning coffee ritual on their way to work ! I personally am more of a morning tea person, but then when lunch time approaches I do need my caffeine fix (usually, right now on a detox !) In any case, if you like coffee, then try this smoothie recipe. It is nutritionally balanced and will keep you fueled up for your whole morning ! Banana and nuts bring creaminess, and the coffee taste works super well with the nuts and seeds added for extra goodness. So just head over to your high speed blender, grab the ingredients listed below and make yourself a nice cuppa 🙂
INGREDIENTS
1 cup coffee (use whatever coffee you like)
1 small banana frozen and cut into chunks
1/3 cup almond milk unsweetened
2 soft dates (or more if you have a sweet tooth)
2 tbsp GF oats
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1,5 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbs flax seeds
1 tbsp pecan + 1 tbsp cashewss (ideally soaked in warm water for 30 min to help make them more tender, but not need if you have a thermomix or vitamix)
A few ice cubes (adjust to consistency you like)
Optionnal: a pinch of cinnamon or vanilla
DIRECTIONS
Put everything in your high speed blender and blend until super smooth adding more ice cubes if needed. If you want to make it thicker and eat it as a smoothie bowl, put less ice cubes and top with a few toppings (raw cacao nibs, crushed roasted nuts, granola, ..)
So it is that time of the year, when you feel like you need to be surrounded by softness, put a large wool jumper, socks, and enjoy a big cup of tea reading a good book by the fire… except if you live in Singapore 🙂 but IG is full of wintery posts and my European roots still feed me that urge to get in the comfy autumn mood. So today I decided to make myself an almond milk chai latte and spend some time reading my cookbooks at home with some easy listening lounge music 🙂 If you are not vegan you can also use dairy milk of course, though I would recommend you try a vegan alternative to see if it is easier to digest …. Did you know that it is estimated that 70% of the population is lactose intolerant ? some don’t experience symptoms but for many it results in stomach pain, bloating, …. If you really want to keep your dairy, try goat or sheep milks which are also rich in proteins, and minerals but contain less lactose.
Chai spices blends are available in most well stocked healthy stores but you can easily make you own blend, so sharing with you my recipe below.
Don’t wait any longer, pour yourself a big cup and enjoy !
Chai spices blend mix:
- 4 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp black pepper grounded
- 4 tsp ground cardamom
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp ground cloves
Blend all spices together in an airtight jar and that’s it ! Can keep for a few months (in my wine cabinet in SG 🙂 ) and be used in your cakes, smoothies or to make delicious chai latte !
For the latte, just mix in your mug: 2 tsp water + 1/2 to 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1 tsp chai mix (adjust to taste). Stir well, then pour into the mix, 1 cup hot vegan milk. I like almond or cashew for an even creamier and more indulgent variation. Stir well, and even better if you have a small blender, use it to blend and get some foam :). That’s it !
So you love smoothies but always feel guilty drinking a lot of sugar and lacking proteins when you enjoy one. And you don’t feel like having a veggie protein shake either … Then this one is for you: sweet but using berries which fructose and GI level are ok, and protein rich using silken tofu 🙂 and really pretty: we all love a pink smoothie, right ?
Some people might be reluctant to use tofu, I still use organic tofu to get some vegan proteins a few times a week. I have read many studies about soy and believe that if you eat it in moderation and buy the right stuff it is still a very good ingredient (though I don’t use soy milk often as I don’t like it’s taste). And don’t worry the smoothie doesn’t taste like tofu at all 🙂
The best thing with this smoothie is that it only takes 2 min, you can use frozen fruits when berries are not in season and you can customize it the way you like it.
Enjoy and let me know your thoughts if you make it.
Instructions (Serves 1)
- 75 grs strawberries
- 25 grs Raspberries
- 75 grs silken tofu
- 120 to 175 ml almond or coconut milk ( depending how dense you want it)
- 1 to 2 dates according to your sweet tooth
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Put everything in your #thermomix and blend until totally smooth
- Top with fresh raspberries, pumpkin seeds, shredded basil or mint, raw cocoa nibs or anything your fancy !
This is the kind of soup we love at home: full of flavor, nourishing and enough as a main meal as it contains a nice amount of protein using red lentils. I will usually add some kind of flat bread and a side leafy green salad to make a complete meal, and if we don’t go vegan, top the soup with some goat cheese instead of coconut yogurt . Even when you live in a tropical country it is so nice to have a warm hearty soup some days ! Hope you try and like it 🙂
INGREDIENTS (Serves 6 large bowls)
- 400 grs chopped pumpkin
- 200 grs red lentils
- 175 grs chopped carrots
- 3 chopped celery stalks
- 1 chopped large yellow onion
- 9 cm piece ginger roughly chopped
- 3 chopped garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 650 ml vegetable stock (ideally homemade or low sodium). Adjust according to consistency desired
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
- Put vegetables, onions and ginger drizzled with olive oil and a little salt on a baking tray in preheated oven at 200°C.
- Bake for 30 minutes (check after 25 min it doesn’t get to brown)
- In the meantime, cook the rinsed red lentils in your thermomix or in a large pot covered with a lid, with the stock, garlic, spices and vegetable stock.
- Cook for 20 minutes, then add half of the coconut milk and mix.
- Add the roasted vegetables (start with only half of the ginger and try before adding the rest, as I love ginger but you might want a bit less 🙂 and the rest of the coconut milk and top with some more stock or water until you reach the consistency you want. Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper and maybe ginger)
- Blend until smooth texture and serve in bowls topped with coconut yogurt, fresh herbs (cilantro, thai basil, ..) roasted seeds, chili flakes, a drizle of olive oil….
Note: if you don’t plan to eat it all, pour in a container and keep in fridge for up to 3 days or in freezer for 2/3 months.
Carrots are often thought of as the ultimate health food, right ? Like me, you probably heard a million times your parents say “Carrots will help you see in the dark” or “carrots will give you a nice skin” when you were a kids 🙂
Purple, red, yellow, white, orange…. whatever the variety, they are all rich in antioxydants and in vitamin A (good for your view). Also they can be found all year round and are so versatile to accommodate different bakes and meals! I always have lots of them in my fridge.
So today it’s a soup I cooked with orange ones (you can swap for purple if you want a fancy colored soup :). Adding some nuts and yogurt makes it a protein and healthy fat rich dish. If you are vegan opt for plant yogurt otherwise go for greek one, which creaminess completes so well this spiced soup.
Super easy recipe below. Have fun cooking and eating it 🙂
INGREDIENTS (for 4 bowls)
- 1 kg chopped carrots
- 400 ml low sodium vegetable stock
- 400 to 700 ml water (according to desired consistency)
- 300 grs chopped yellow onions
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 25 grs grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp chili flakes (omit if eating with your kids or adjust to spiced level you like)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Roasted spiced cashews: 50 grs cashews / 1/16 cup coconut sugar / 1tbsp coconut oil / 1 tsp garam masala /1/4 tsp salt / 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- To serve top each bowl with 1 heaped tbsp greek or coconut yogurt, chopped cilantro, sliced red onions and some of the roasted spiced cashews
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oil in a large pan (medium / low fire). Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir for a few min, then add all spices and stir for 1/2 min until fragrant.
- Add the salt, the carrots, the stock and bring to a boil. Top with the water and let it simmer, covered for 25 min (Check after 15 min if need to top up with water).
- In the meantime, mix the cashews with the oil, sugar and spices in a bowl to fully coat them, and then put in preheated oven (160°C) to roast for up to 20/25 min (should be golden but not overly brown :). this can be done of course ahead and you can also prepare a bigger batch to use as toppings for salads, other soups, or even as snacks …
- Once the veggies are cooked, blend the soup and add some more water if you need until you reach proper consistency.
- To serve, pour soup in bowls, top with yogurt, red onions slices, cilantro and roughly chopped roasted spiced cashews.
- Eat with some pita bread,GF wrap, or some grains and leafy greens to have a complete meal.
Hey another smoothie recipe sharing with you guys 🙂 Cause it’s summer (well all year round in SG…. but right now in Europe:) and there’s a huge heat wave, so this kind of brekkie is ideal to share with my caucasian friends 🙂 And also because kids love smoothies and I have found it is a really good way to have them eat whole fruits and even veggies, without even noticing it. I love cold pressed juices and we have a great juicer at home, but I usually prefer making Smoothies for them from a nutritional standpoint. If you add some seeds, plant milk it becomes a 100% balanced snack for them and they won’t ask for another cookie or chocolate square after a nutritious smoothie, trust me 🙂
The trick with this one is the use of raw carrots, spices, oats and a little mango to get the same kind of flavor as carrot cake and that super pretty orange colour 🙂
5 min recipe just below so you can try and share your thoughts with me 🙂
INGREDIENTS FOR 2 SERVES
- 3 raw carrots, washed peeled and cut
- 3/4 cup GF oats
- 1/3 cup ripe frozen mango (chopped)
- 1 cup almond milk
- Optional 1,5 Tbsp plant based protein powder
- 1,5 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 1/3 to 1/2 tsp turmeric (to taste)
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2/3 to 1 cup ice cubes (until you get the desired consistency)
- Optional: 1 large soft date (if you have a sweet tooth 🙂
Blend everything in your high speed blender (I have a thermomix) gradually increasing the speed. Add the ice cubes until you get the texture you like. You can either drink it or eat it as a smoothie bowl (thicker consistency in that case). If you have a smoothie bowl, dust with a little more cinnamon, some chopped walnuts, a few raisins and shredded coconut and enjoy 🙂
Nb: can be prepared the day before. You will probably need to add a little more water or milk if you have it the next day as oats will make it thicken overnight.
Blueberries are a must have staple in my fridge and freezer. Those cuties are so yummy and good for you 🙂 rich in vitamins, antioxidants, with a low GI and a pretty colour, what’s not to like ? When we were living in France I planted some blueberries plants in our garden… as we’ll be back in our house for a few days this summer I wish they grew and we can pick up some straight from the bushes ! Lately I have been eating some almost everyday in my chia puddings, breakfast muffins, as a compote to top my banana bread or to make scones. Today it’s a smoothie I wanted to make with these beauties. So here it goes: 100% vegan, GF, indulgent yet nutritionally balanced (especially if you add some plant protein). The perfect way to start your day ! Try it and let me know 🙂
For 1 serve
- 2/3 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/3 cup frozen blackberries
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (adjust to taste)
- 1 heaped tbsp tahini
- 1 cup almond or cashew (creamier) milk
- Optional: 1 tbsp protein powder
- Optional: 1 to 2 soft dates if you have a sweet tooth 🙂
Blend everything in your high speed blender (I have a thermomix), adding the milk gradually to get the desired consistency. You can opt to drink it (in that case add more milk or complete with water) or make a smoothie bowl and then stop when the consistency is still thick. Top with fresh berries, coconut flakes, raw cacao nibs, a little tahini (yum) and enjoy !
Nb: you can make it 1 day ahead, though the colour will not be as nice due to the banana and smoothies are better made just before eating to enjoy all their nutrients and vitamins.
Nb2: if you don’t like banana, skip it and replace with 1/3 cup frozen mango.
One day we won’t be living in Singapore any more… and I will regret the eternal summer… But right now it has been so hot that I find myself wishing it would rain. I was raised in the East part of France where it rains so much and is cold almost 3/4 of the year so I would have never imagined I would write anything about wishing the rain to come ever 🙂
Anyway this heat wave is a good excuse to look for summer recipes and luckily I found back in a notebook this ginger ale I had done ages ago…
3 ingredients, 3 min, detox, no refined sugar, can be batch prepared. Now you are excited, just follow the basic instructions below and enjoy !
Recipe for 1,2 litres ginger ale
- 50 grs young ginger washed unpeeled
- 150 grs lemon peeled
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (up to 4 if you really want a bit of sweetness 🙂
- 1 litre sparkling water
- Cold press the lemon and ginger and add the maple syrup
- Sift and add your sparkling water.
- That’s it !
Nb: enjoy it cold, on the rocks 🙂
Nb2: if you want to make a big quantity prepare a batch of lemon and ginger cold pressed juice that you can keep in a glass jar in your fridge for 3/4 days. Then finish adding your mineral water whenever you want
When you have a few veggies left in the fridge and some nice herbs and nuts, soups are the easiest, yummiest and super nutritiously healthy way to have the perfect meal. This soup is a pretty (yet basic 🙂 ) Roasted Thyme Zucchini and Peas soup. You will see it is really really easy to make and requires very few ingredients. And yet it is so delicious. Vegetarian and gluten free, but skip the parmesan and it will be vegan and GF 🙂 If you try it let me know how you enjoyed it. Recipe just below.
Ingredients (serves 4)Serves 4
- 1 kg zucchini
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp almond milk unsweetened
- 300 gros frozen peas thawed
- 3 tbsp fresh thyme
- 50 grs parmesan (or use vegan parmesan for vegan variation)
- 2 tbsp shredded basil
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan forced
- Dice the zucchinis in small cubes, put them with the garlic cloves (with their skin but trimmed edge) in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to coat well.
- Place on the baking fray and roast for 40 min, stirring halfway (the zucchinis should be golden brown)
- Pour the cooled down roasted vegetables in your high speed blender (remove the garlic skin 🙂 and add the peas, parmesan, thyme and half the stock.
- Blend to get a puree and add the almond milk.
- Add more stock to get the consistency you like, taste, add more salt and pepper if needed and keep aside.
- Roast the pine nuts in a pan
- Serve the soup in a pretty bowl, topped with the roasted pine nuts, shredded basil, a thyme sprig, a drizzle of olive oil and shaved parmesan.
- Enjoy with a nice slice of sourdough bread or olive oil focccacia !
Nb: this soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 36 hours in an airtight container.