15 LichField Road556835 Singapore
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, ..)
Hey there ! So if you know me a little, you know we live in Singapore and are surrounded by a mix of Asian cuisines, which I looooove ! Noodles and vermicelli are a main staple in every kitchen here, and I always carry brown rice vermicelli for a quick and easy stir fry or salad in this case. I prefer to use brown rice ones, as they are more interesting from a nutritional standpoint and tastewise, you can really not tell the difference once blended with the rest. In the salas below, I use a mix of veggies I like, but feel free to change / skip / replace (cauliflower or brocollini can also work very well, change for red cabbage for more polyphenols and a burst of colour, and play with the herbs: dill or asian thai basil are really nice alternatives). If you don’t like goji berries, use raisins, dried cranberries or blueberries or omit (though I like having that little natural sweet note). Finally, peanuts work very well in Asian flavored dish, but omit if allergic, or replace by toasted crushed cashews or sunflower or pine nuts. If you are not GF you can use soba noodles (some are 100 GF, but not all, so check the label). As always, this is a ridiculously easy recipe, you can do quickly and twist with your current mood ! ENJOY 🙂
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 large portions as a main
250g brown rice vermicelli cooked as per package instructions
Half a brocoli, cut into small florets, blanched and sliced
1 large carrot julienned
100 g blanched snow peas sliced
Half a yellow raw capsicum sliced
25 g shredded mixed herbs (mint, coriander, chives, thai basil, ..)
2 tbsp crushed grilled peanuts
1 tbsp black sasimi seeds
1 tbsp goji berries
Optional chili flakes
Dressing: Juice and zest of 1 small lime, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp avocado oil (or grapeseed), 1 tbsp tamari sauce, 3 tbsp maple syrup (honey is also ok if not vegan)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare your dressing.
Transfer all your salad ingredients (except the nuts, seeds and keep 1 tbsp herbs) in your nicest large salad bowl. Using your clean 🙂 hands, mix all dry ingredients well, add the dressing and combine everything well again together. Top your salad with remaining ingredients and serve immediately (or keep in fridge for a few days, but then better not to pour the dressing)
Hello Guys !
Looking for new meal options ? I have a very simple one for you today that everyone should love even if they are not vegan ! so don’t tell them 🙂 (kidding :)) As a teenager I discovered cucumber egg mayo sandwiches in London as they were most of my lunch meals while on a student exchange. At that time I was already a vegetarian, not a vegan, and even if I was never fond of mayonnaise on its own, I found the chives / egg / cucumbers / cracked pepper and mayo combo very addictive at that time (maybe also because my other lunch box options were not really exciting :). Anyway since then I sometimes go for egg mayo sandwiches options when I know it comes from a good production place ! But as it gets more and more difficult for me to eat animal products I tried to find the right vegan alternative and believe I have found it !
Recipe is just below for a very simple vegan mayo you can use in this egg sandwich base but also for any other recipe asking for mayo.
Have fun cooking and let me know how it turned out !
SUPER EASY YUMMY VEGAN MAYONNAISE
INGREDIENTS
160 grs blanched almonds soaked in water for min 4 hours and then rinsed and drained
125 ml purified filtered water
125 ml cold pressed light extra virgin olive oil
2,5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
kalak nemak to taste (will bring some salt and eggy flavor)
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend all your ingredients except black salt and olive oil in your high speed blender until you get a super smooth texture. In my termomix I did it for 10 min roughly.
Add gradually the olive oil while continuing blending, to get a smooth well combined texture.
Taste, add a little more lemon or cider vinegar for tanginess or kalak nemak to increase egg flavor. Transfer to your mason jar glass container, close tightly and keep in the fridge for up to a month.
To make your egg mayo mixture, simply chop drained firm tofu (ideally organic and ensuring non GMO), add a few tbsp of your vegan mayo, some cracked black pepper, chopped chives a bit more kalak nemak, a little apple cider vinegar a tsp of dijon mustard. And stir well.
Choose nice sourdough bread or focaccia, GF toasts or wraps, … try to avoid white and refined flours option breads if possible … drop a few tbsp egg mayo mixture, top with sliced cucumber (use mandoline to get thin ones), some baby spinach, cilantro or additional spring onions, and have a nice meal 🙂
Crumble is one of my favorite dessert. I remember eating the first one during a family trip in the UK. I was probably 6 or 7 years old and found all the food awful 🙂 except for a super flaky, buttery cinnamon apple crumble that was served to us one evening at one of my Mum ‘s friend place for dessert !
I have baked some many variations since then, as it is such a versatile delight. I found the red fruit and almond combo one of the nicest one, and in this recipe I bake it as a pie, with a layer of GF dough, which makes it easy to serve and enjoy. Some could compare it to a streusel I guess ! Feel free to choose the berries you prefer and adapt the sugar level to your tastebuds and sweetness of your fruits. Absolutely no butter, or refined sugar in this recipe, but try it, you won’t miss those I promise.
Happy Baking and share your feedbacks if you do this recipe !
NGREDIENTS
Crust and Crumble
- 2,5 cups oat flakes
- 1,75 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- A few crushed almonds or hazelnuts to add before baking
Filling
- 600 grs raspberries (or any kind of red fruits). Frozen fruits need to be thawed before
- 2,5 tbsp maple syrup (adjust while making the filling if your fruits were not too sweet)
- 3 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp unwaxed lemon zest
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 170 °C, fan forced
- Start preparing your fruits, mashing them with the sweetener and chia seeds. Leave to rest (you need to keep some fruit chunks to have more texture)
- Put your oats in your thermomix or high speed blender and blend until you get a flour texture. Add all the remaining crust ingredients and blend to get a dough consistency. If too sandy, add a few tbsp water (1 by one until it forms a proper dough).
- Split the dough in 2 equal balls
- Use the first ball, rolling/ pressing it to make the base of your crumble slices. (you can use any kind of pan, I like to use a square one lined with baking paper)
- Top the crust with your fruits mixture and then add the crumble on top, adding 2/3 tbsp crushed almonds or hazelnuts on top (optional)
- Put in the oven for 40/45 min (check it gets nicely golden but not burnt :).
- Take it out and wait for it to be cool to slice
Eat straight away with some vegan yogurt or ice cream or keep for a few days in the fridge. Can be frozen for up to a month in air tight container.
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 !
Hello ! Feeling you need a little “cheer me up” this morning for breakfast ? Then think about chocolate 🙂 But not the nasty “N….a” spread you put on toasts or hot choc you drink with marshmallows 🙂 I am talking about real chocolate benefits, ie raw “Cacao”. Do you actually know the difference between cacao and cocoa ?
Simple: raw cacao comes from cold-pressed un-roasted cacao beans. It keeps all the goodness of cacao, which are numerous: living enzymes, antioxidants, magnesium (which can help reduce stress :), potassium, and iron). And lastly it is rich in alkaloids which interact with our neurotransmitters and help us feel good !!!!….
Cocoa comes from the same beans but they have been roasted at high temperatures, hence less nutritional benefits. However if you can’t find raw cacao, cocoa is still a valid option for this smoothie. Healthy enough and will also put a big smile on your face 🙂
Recipe so simple you have no excuse not to make it as I am sure you have everything you need in your pantry ! ENJOY and share your comments !
Serves 1:
1 frozen banana (not too ripe if you want to reduce sugar level)
1/4 cup GF oats
125 ml almond milk (adjust to consistence level you like)
1 tbsp raw cacao
1 tsp chia seeds
1 to 2 soft dates (adjust to your sweet tooth)
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Blend everything in your high speed blender / thermomix until smooth. Pour less / more milk wether you want to drink or eat it. If eaten as a smoothie bowl top with extra seeds, quinoa puffs, cacao nibs, more dates or fresh fruits. YUM 🙂
A new porridge recipe base for you guys ! Overnight one, so no excuse not to make it as it will only take a few min to prepare the day ahead (or even a few days ahead) and just finish with the toppings in the morning. Gluten free, raw, vegan, refined sugar free, nourishing and very yummy. The way we like to start the day, right ?
Recipe just there. Happy Brekkie !
Serves 1
110 grs GF rolled oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp vegan (or greek) yogurt or even unsweetened apple sauce
100 ml almond or oat milk + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp gula melaka (adjust to taste)
1 tsp cinamon
1/2 tsp gingerbread spices
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
Just blend everything well overnight in your container (double or triple quantities for batch cooking as it can keep for a few days in the fridge)
In the morning, add half a raw medium pear, thinly sliced (if you have time roast it with a little coconut sugar, YUM !), drizzle extrat gula melaka if you have a sweet tooth, raw cacao nibs, vegan yogurt, roasted pecans and pepitas and here it is !
Yes salads can be pretty, healthy, nourishing and very tasty ! The one I am sharing with you today is super well balanced, combining, good GF carbs, legume proteins, veggies, sheep dairy, lots of herbs and a healthy fat dressing. It can be satisfying as a main on its own but feel free to add some more protein if you have a busy/ sporty day and a few more greens as a side salad to have a complete lunch. It can be easily adapted if you don’t have sorghum, don’t worry (replace with quinoa, farro or millet) and also switch for a vegan cheese alternative if you eat plant based. I rarely eat dairy nowadays, but feta can bring that special twist I want sometimes. If you do use feta, ensure it is real one made only with goat and sheep milk, please ! as there are so many bad ones on the market !
The only time consuming step is the lentils cooking in the recipe, so ensure you cook more and keep some for some lentils burgers patties/ falafels / a nice dahl / another salad…. in coming days.
Recipe below, serves 6 as a main / 8 as a good side !
200 grs uncooked Puy lentils
200 grs shorghum
300 grs cherry tomatoes quartered
100 grs persian style soft marinated real feta (or marinated tofu for vegan alternative)
2 red onions diced
2 large garlic cloves crushed
20 grs chopped parsley / 20 grs chopped chives / 20 grs thyme
70 ml lemon juice
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and cracked pepper and roasted pepitas to top
Rinse and cook your lentils. Do the same with the sorghum.While they are cooking prepare the lemon dressing, mixing garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and a bit of salt.
When your grains and lentils have cooled down, put them in your serving bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, the onions and pour over the dressing. Finally add the feta and the herbs and top with extra salt/ black pepper and roasted pepitas. As simple a that !
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.
You have 15 min, crave for a super moist “healthy” chocolate cookie, I have got the recipe for you just below. 5 ingredients, gluten free and guilt free (if you don’t eat the whole tray :), what’s not to love in those ?
Recipe for 14 cookies
- 175 grs almond flour
- 1 tsp psyllium husk
- 3,5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1,5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary
- Vegan chocolate droplets
Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the chocolate and make small balls. Put them in your baking tray covered with baking paper and press gently while adding 2 chocolate droplets in the middle of each ball.
Put in preheated oven at 160°C fan forced, for 15/16 min (wait for a little golden color appearing on the sides). Take them out, sprinkle with madden sea salt flakes and let them cool down before eating.
Store in airtight container and refresh before eating if you want to get them a little crispy again as they get super chewy super quickly, especially in SG.