15 LichField Road556835 Singapore
In French we say “avoir la banane” meaning “being happy” and yes bananas are a super fruit that puts a smile on my face ! They contain a fair amount of fibers and several antioxidants, and are proven to help digestion. They are quite sweet indeed but if you eat raw bananas go for the unripe bananas as their GI is only about 30 (whereas ripe bananas GI is approx 60). Great in smoothies and vegan nice creams, when you bake vegan cakes you also tend to use a lot of bananas as they are a good binder and can often help replace part of the eggs and also some oil in recipes.
In the banana bread though they are not an ingredient but THE STAR INGREDIENT of the recipe ! To ensure a tasteful and sweet loaf, chose them super ripe (which is super easy in SG) and if they are not ripe enough put them for sometime in your oven (with their skin) to speed up the process before using in your batter.
Banana bread have so many variations and so many people claim to have the best banana bread recipe, I am not gonna write this one is the best you’ll ever have 🙂 But if you look for a rich tasty flourless loaf, you’ll probably end up baking this one more than once !!
Moist, rich in protein and healthy fats, gluten free, refined sugar free, vegetarian but not vegan (you can replace eggs with egg replacer of flax eggs. It will still be good, but denser and more moist / won’t rise the same). GIVE IT A TRY !!
INGREDIENTS
- 200 grs almond meal
- 300 grs large mashed super ripe bananas + 1 banana sliced in 2 to top
- 3 large eggs ( or vegan equivalent)
- 50 grs maple syrup
- 50 ml olive oil
- 25 grs flax meal
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 160 °C fan forced.
- Whisk together eggs, mashed bananas, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup.
- Add the almond flour and flax meal, salt, baking soda, lemon juice and stir until all smooth
- Transfer the batter to a pan lined with parchment paper and distribute the batter evenly. Add the 2 banana halves on top (and some flaked almonds if you want)
- Bake the loaf for approx 55 to 65 min until a toothpick comes out clean (if at some point it starts to become to dark on the top, cover with aluminium foil and continue baking)
- Once done, take it out from oven and let it cool in the pan before taking out and slicing.
- Can keep for 5 to 6 days in the fridge in airtight container, or be sliced and frozen for 2 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.
I am sure you often have no time for a proper brekkie. Then what to you do ? skip it ? eat a banana ? grab a muffin or a croissant at the bakery ?
Well none of these answers are OK 🙂 🙂 Breakfast is a very important meal and even if you don’t have time, or don’t feel hungry when you wake up, like my daughter Rose, you should eat something properly balanced to fuel up your day !
Those cookies are an easy and fun way to eat brekkie on the go. Made with lots of seeds and superfoods, sweetened with natural fruits and a little natural sweetener and using the goodness of nuts and coconut oil to give moisture, they are crispy outside and chewy inside, yummy and healthy !
They are also super versatile as you can play with the seeds, fruits or even add choc chips:) to have new variations
VG (if you use vegan sweetener option) – GF – RSF and good for you 🙂
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup GF oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup seeds (pepitas, SF, melon..)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/3 cup dried super fruits (mulberries, blueberries, goji, ..)`
- 1/4 cup flax seeds meal
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (used refined if you don’t want the subtle coconut
- 3 tbsp almond milk
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup for VG option
- 1tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Do the same for all wet ingredients
- Mix dry and wet, and leave for a few min to bind and get a sticky dough that is scoopable.
- Scoop out and drop cookie dough the size you want on a baking sheet. Ensure there is a little room between each cookies, though those don’t tend to spread much, so flatten them a bit before putting in the oven to get a cookie shape 🙂
- Put in preheated oven (165°C fan forced) for 17/20 min (depending on the size and thickness of your cookies start checking if they turn golden in the edges after 15 min)
- Take out, cool down and eat or store for a few days in an airtight container. They can also be frozen and kept for a few weeks to be reheated on demand (though usually I prefer to freeze the raw cookie dough)
I was never a big fan of chocolate mousse, except for the one my auntie “Mine” would make for us each time we were visiting her. She always said her secret ingredient was super good dark chocolate and a hint of coffee…and probably also a massive use of butter and eggs 🙂
When I discovered aquafaba – aka chickpeas cooking water – I set to myself the challenge to make a chocolate mousse as good as my childhood memory one… but without the overindulging fats 🙂
Some people are still afraid of using chickpea water…. weird, don’t you think, when you eat raw egg whites in a chocolate mousse or raw egg yolk in a mayo ? As you know chickpeas are rich in protein, and some of it can be found in the cooking water. So aquafaba is a mix of protein and water, like egg whites, and works like magic to give you the fluffiest ‘vegan egg whites’ to make the best chocolate mousse 🙂 And taste wise it definitely doesn’t taste like chickpeas (like your regular choc mousse doesn’t taste like eggs :))
If you are ready, then try this super super easy recipe and you won’t regret it.
VEGAN, GF, NF, AND DAM DELICIOUS !!!
INGREDIENTS
- 240 ml aquafaba ideally home cooked but if not, use canned chickpeas water ensuring it’s low sodium ones
- 70% cacao vegan chocolate
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp coffee extract
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 20 grs sugar (this one is up to you, but kids would prefer with it 🙂
- Raw cacao nibs, grilled crushed nuts, pomegranate, grated coconut….. to top when serving
DIRECTIONS
- Put your chocolate broken in pieces in a bowl and add 2 tbsp almond milk and your coffee extract. Put the bowl in a larger pan with heated water and melt your chocolate “au bain marie” stirring regularly. Once melted set aside to cool down.
- Put your aquafaba in your kitchen mixer, with the whisk equipment, add the lemon juice and whip until it does not move at all (like for egg whites). It should be ok after 5/7 min.
- Add the sugar gradually and continue whipping until you get again the perfect peak.
- Gently fold bit by bit the cooled down melted chocolate with a spatula.
- Pour your mousse in individual glass containers or a big bowl. Cover with cling wrap or a lid if you use glass containers like WEK glasses.
- Leave to set in the fridge for at least 5 hours but ideally overnight.
- Enjoy, topped with whatever you feel like and tell me what you think !
Nb: Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, so a good dessert to prepare ahead for a diner 🙂
Nb2: ensure your whisk and whisking bowls are super clean, as aquafaba is super easy to whip, except if there are grease traces on your equipment 🙂
Saying goodbye to summer has always been so hard for me…. luckily I leave now in the country of eternal summer 🙂
These biscuits have been a treat for our early night drinks with friends back home last holidays (thank god I had brought my thermomix in my luggages 🙂 So sharing with you this super easy recipe: only 5 ingredients, and a good kitchen mixer (like thermomix, or magimix ideally)
They are really tasty and nourishing so unlike most aperitif snacks you keep on eating, those will fill you up quickly. But only good fats and proteins in those !
Recipe is here. Try it, taste it, and tell me how much you enjoyed it 🙂
VEGAN, GF, RSF
INGREDIENTS
- 300 grs cashews
- 3 large sundried tomatoes (in olive oil, drained from excess oil)
- 1 flaxseed egg (1 tbsp milled flax seeds, 2,5 tbsp water)
- 1,5 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
DIRECTIONS
- Blend the cashews and tomatoes in your high speed blender until you get a paste (but don’t over blend as it will get too oily after 🙂 If using dried tomatoes, add 1 tbsp water (no need if they were in oil)
- Add the vegan egg, nutritional yeast, salt, and stir to combine well everything.
- Transfer the dough to a baking sheet layered with baking paper. Top with another layer of paper and roll the dough to flatten it to 3 mm thickness.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, cut in desired shape and bake in preheated oven at 195° C fan forced, for 12/15 min. Corners should be golden brown.
- Wait until it cools down and eat 🙂 or transfer to container and keep for up to 5 days.
Nb: can be seasoned with other herbs or spices (I like to use thyme, rosemary, basil or chili for a little twist)
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.
Took me quite sometime to post this recipe … Sorry for those who have been asking me, I haven’t been so good with the blog maintenance lately. But here it is ! the recipe for a super nice vegan loaf cake that reminds me of the “not so nutritionally nice” but yummy “savane” cake I ate as a kid. In this one, the use of banana gives it a nice moist texture and sweetens it lightly in addition to maple syrup. Even if you don’t like banana, give it a try as it does not overwhelm the flavor and this cake should definitely become one of your kids favorite once you have baked it for them (Rose definitely adores it). Yet it is GF, vegan and refined sugar free !!
Actually they can bake it themselves and have fun playing with the different layers of chocolate and vanilla flavors 🙂
Recipe link below.
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.
I don’t know if you are like me, but I put a STROOOOONGGGGGG emphasis on the look / aesthetic of my plates and food, especially at breakfast time. Can not imagine starting the day without breakfast, but would sometime rather skip it than have some dull or processed food, like the one you can find in cheap hotels, railway stations or planes :(. Anyway, to me the statement “you eat first with your eyes” is 100% true, hence the idea of this pretty pink granola. Cherry on the cake it is a good way to add some veggies in your granola, without even really noticing it (except for the nice colour, it brings a little sweetness, and its flavor remains subtle).
100% GF, Vegan, refined sugar free, rich in fibers, minerals, some proteins and calcium with the use of nuts and seeds, the ginger gives a little nice kick (which you can adjust according to your taste).
If you try this recipe, let me know your thoughts and how you like it (for me it is usually wit plant yogurt, sometimes greek yogurt, and some fresh fruits)
Link just below. ENJOY !
Hey cheesecake lover ! This one is for you, if you have turned vegan but still crave for NY Cheesecakes. I fully understand as I fell in love with this decadent American dessert the first time I went to New York. The combination of a creamy layer with a super crunchy spicy base and that tangy sourness so satisfying in each mouthful. OMG, it is either heaven or evil on earth !
Anyway, having banned dairy most of the time from our table and kitchen, I had to find an alternative and this recipe definitely makes the trick.
It uses silken tofu and cashew cream to get a nice creamy layer. The base is sweetened with maple syrup and natural fruit and is gluten free. So what are you waiting for ?
Go and try it for yourself and let me know, I love reading your comments.