Tag Archives: recipe

Gluten-Free, Vegan Quinoa & Brown Rice Pancakes

Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

Happy Pancake Day everyone! Today I’m going to be making my quinoa and brown rice pancakes which are gluten-free and vegan! The almond milk replaces the dairy milk and the flaxseed binds the mixture instead of the eggs!

Quinoa & Brown Rice Pancakes

Makes 6Strawberry Pancakes

75g                 Quinoa

75g                 Brown rice

1tbsp              Desiccated coconut

1tbsp              Flaxseed

1tbsp              Agave nectar

300ml             Almond Milk

300ml             Filtered Water

If you have a Vitamix blender, pour in the quinoa and rice and blend until it has formed a fine flour. Alternatively you can cook the quinoa in filtered water for 15 minutes and brown rice for 40 minutes and then place them in the blender.

Add the desiccated coconut, flaxseed, agave nectar, almond milk and water to the blender. Mix until it has formed a liquid batter.

Heat a small pan over a low heat. Pour in enough batter to form a medium sized pancake.

Cook for about 2 minutes until there are bubbles throughout the surface and you can easily peel away the pancake from the pan. Flip over and cook for another 2 minutes until golden brown. Pile the pancakes on top of each other on a plate.

Add a fruit topping of your choice such as sliced banana, strawberries or raspberries. Drizzle with agave nectar and lemon juice. Delicious served with spoonfuls of nut butter.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Treats

Articles, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

Happy Valentine’s Day! <3 <3

This is a special day to spend with your loved one appreciating what you have together. Or if you are single you can treat yourself to show yourself how much you love and appreciate yourself!

Why not indulge in my delicious Chocolate Snowballs this Valentine’s Day! Or share a bowl of my dreamy Cashew & Banana Ice Cream!

P1000077P1000143

Foods for The Throat Chakra

Articles, Chakra Balancing, Health, Therapies, , , , , ,

Your chakras are seven energy centres which govern certain areas of your body. When they are open and spinning at at the right speed, we have vibrant health and all areas of our life work well. When they are closed or underactive, we get illnesses and problems in areas of our life such as finances, relationships, self-esteem etc.

The throat chakra governs communication and is about speaking your truth and expressing yourself.

People who are quiet with low self-esteem who do not speak up for themselves often have a closed throat chakra. This can stem from being told off for expressing their true self as a child and being taught to conform and behave in a certain way. It is important to open the throat chakra and find your voice in order to communicate our thoughts and feelings and have healthy relationships.

To open it, practice speaking up for yourself to the right person at the right moment. Activities such as singing are helpful to open your throat chakra. Foods to stimulate the throat chakra include drinks especially water, juices, smoothies, fruits, soups, sauces and sea vegetables.

Recipes for the throat chakra include:P1010161

Smoothies & Drinks

Lemon Juice in Water
Tropical Pineapple & Mango Smoothie
Green Smoothie
Vegan Mango Lassi

Fruit

Summer Fruit Salad

Soups

Carrot & Coriander SoupP1000048
Green Pea & Mung Bean Soup

Sea Vegetables

Nori Rolls

 

References:
Minich, D. (2009). Chakra Foods for Optimum Health. United States of America: Conari Press

Veggie Cakes

Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , , , ,

Veggie Cakes

These delicious veggie cakes are a treat to have for a main meal! They are a combination of savoury pancakes, scones and veggie burgers! They are also a great way of using up any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge!

phpOudM7vAM phpyknqMuAM

Makes 12

Ingredients

1tbsp              Coconut Oil

1                      Small Red Onion

1                      Garlic Clove

80g                 Mushrooms

1                      Carrot

1/2                  Sweet Potato

Handful          Spinach

75g                  Quinoa

75g                  Brown Rice

1tbsp               Desiccated Coconut

1tbsp               Ground Flaxseed

500ml              Almond Milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Bake the sweet potato for 45 minutes.

Now prepare the batter. Add the quinoa, brown rice, desiccated coconut, flaxseed and almond milk to the Vitamix blender. Blend on full power for 30 seconds.

Next, melt the coconut oil in a hot pan. Add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes. Add the finely chopped carrot. Lastly add the chopped garlic, cooked sweet potato cut into cubes and the handful of spinach. Now add the cooked vegetables into the batter in the blender. Mix with a spoon.

I use a specialised pancake pan with 4 moulds to cook 4 veggie cakes, but you can add spoonfuls of the mixture to a hot pan to cook. Add 2 dessert spoonfuls of the batter mix to the hot pan, cooking 4 veggie cakes at a time. Cook for 5 minutes on one side then flip over and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Place the cooked veggie cakes on a plate then cook 4 more.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Store in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days.

Lemon in Water

Recipes, Smoothies & Drinks, , , , , , , ,

It is important to drink enough water everyday to stay fresh and hydrated! Our body is 90% water. The recommended daily amount is 1500-2500ml which is about 3-5x 500ml glasses of water, juices or smoothies! Drinking water is also fantastic for detoxing and gives you radiant, clear skin!

Every morning I like to have a refreshing glass of lemon juice squeezed into water.P1010161

The benefits of this include:

  • Rehydrates you first thing in the morning
  • Stimulates liver detoxification
  • Stimulates your digestive juices before breakfast
  • Activates your root, solar plexus and throat chakras.

Note: Lemon is acidic and if drunk daily in the long-term it may cause tooth erosion. It is best to drink it through a straw to avoid contact with the teeth.

Ingredients

500ml Filtered water

1/2 Lemon

Method

Pour yourself a glass of water.

Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water, making sure to catch the seeds!

Enjoy your refreshing drink!

Cooking for the Root Chakra

Articles, Chakra Balancing, Health, Therapies, , , , , , , , , ,

Your chakras are seven energy centres which govern certain areas of your body. When they are open and spinning at at the right speed, we have vibrant health and all areas of our life work well. When they are closed or underactive, we get illnesses and problems in areas of our life such as finances, relationships, self-esteem etc.

The root chakra governs survival and security in the world. It relates to basis survival needs such as food, water, shelter, feeling safe and supported in a community and finances. It spins at a slow, steady rate and is located between the legs in the genital area. It is red in colour.

A lot of illnesses stem from an underactive root chakra such as fatigue, anorexia, malnutrition or inability to deal with stress from not giving your body enough energy in the form of calories and protein. Lack of protein can cause skin problems, depleted immune system and anaemia. Also obesity is a root chakra issue from being so out of touch with your body and it’s signals that you overeat. Men with root issues have sex organ problems.

Here are some tips for cooking for your root chakra:P1010056

  • Cook high protein foods – foods such as meat, quinoa, mushrooms, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds will nourish your root chakra.
  • Get enough calories – I use the dietary analysis software myfitnesspal.com to monitor my calorie intake to ensure I reach my 2000kcal per day and give my body all the resources it needs to function optimally.
  • Get enough calcium for your bones and muscles from dairy, kale, broccoli and chickpeas and iron from meat and green vegetables for your blood.P1000930
  • Cook root vegetables – anything that grows in the earth will nourish your root chakra such as carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, onions, garlic and ginger.
  • Cook red foods – the colour of the root chakra is red so eating red foods such as strawberries, raspberries, tomato, red onions, red meat will activate it.
  • Eat when you are hungry – respect your body by listening to its’ signals. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you feel full.

You can do this online chakra test to see which of your chakras are out of balance.

Here are some recipes to nourish the root chakra:P1010066

Berry Smoothie

Quinoa Porridge
Quinoa & Brown Rice Pancakes
Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
Vegan Chocolate Muffins

Carrot & Coriander SoupP1000653
Quinoa & Lentil Burgers
Red Lentil Dhal
Red Lentil & Kidney Bean Curry
Roasted Root Vegetable Casserole
Quinoa & Mushroom Risotto

References:
Minich, D. (2009). Chakra Foods for Optimum Health. United States of America: Conari Press

Quinoa & Mushroom Risotto

Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , ,

P1000990This tasty Autumnal dish is high in protein with the mushrooms and quinoa.

I went out to the woods on the day and picked wild mushrooms which taste amazing! Had to identify them first as many wild mushrooms are poisonous!

You would cook the quinoa as you would the rice in a risotto, by simmering and adding water as necessary.  P1010056

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tbsp              Coconut oil

1                     Small red onion

80g                 Mushrooms

1tsp                Thyme

150g               Quinoa

500ml             Filtered water

1/4tsp             Pink Himalayan salt

1/4tsp             Black pepper

Method

Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. Chop up the onion and add to the hot pan. Now slice the mushrooms and add to the pan. Fry until the mushrooms are browned.

Now pour in the quinoa. Add the thyme and stir in. Fry for a minute, then pour in the filtered water.

Bring to the boil, then put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.

Check the pan regularly and add extra water when the quinoa is looking dry. Quinoa absorbs water very quickly!

When cooked, add in the salt and pepper and serve immediately!

Cashew and Almond Milk

Dairy Alternatives, Recipes, Smoothies & Drinks, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

It is really rewarding making your own cashew and almond milk. It is so quick to prepare and just as tasty as the shop bought almond milk, but without the artificial preservatives! I added cashew butter for extra deliciousness! Store your cashew and almond milk in glass bottles to be eco-friendly.

Cashew and almond milk

Makes 1.2L

Ingredients

100g               Almonds

1tbsp              Cashew nut butter

2tbsp              Agave nectar

¼ tsp              Pink Himalayan Salt

1000ml           Filtered water

Instructions

Soak the almonds overnight, changing the water at least once.

Drain the almonds.

Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix for 1 minute.

Pour into glass bottles and store in the fridge.

You can pour your almond milk onto cereal or use it in smoothies!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:24]

Chocolate Smoothie for Vitamin B2 Deficiency

Articles, Health, Nutrition, , , , , , , , , , ,

This delicious chocolate smoothie is rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin) which is used to treat angular cheilitis and seborrheic dermatitis! I developed this smoothie after discovering that I had angular cheilitis which is dry, cracked, crusting skin on the corner of the mouth.

Vitamin B2 deficiency is a major cause of angular cheilitis along with deficiency of vitamin B3, B5, B6, B12 and stress. I also have seborrheic dermatitis on my cheeks and nose which is why I knew it must be vitamin B2 deficiency, as the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis and angular cheilitis are strong indicators of B2 deficiency.

So I looked in my my nutrition textbook for food sources of vitamin B2. According to Liska et al. (2004) the richest sources of vitamin B2 are animal products such as organ meats, fish and eggs. As I am vegan I looked down the list and saw that almonds are a rich source, as well as mushrooms. These are foods that I am not eating much of. I needed a way to get these foods into my everyday diet and had the idea to create a smoothie!

P1010023

Food Amount Vitamin B2 (mg)
Almonds 50g 0.46
Kale 100g 0.26
Cashews 50g 0.125
Sunflower seeds 50g 0.115
Prunes 50g 0.11
1.07

The UK reference nutrient intake (RNI) for women between the age of 15-50 years is 1.1mg. So I worked out how much of each ingredient I would need to get near to my RNI.

I am going to drink this smoothie everyday for a month and see if my angular cheilitis and seborrheic dermatits disappear! If there is no improvement it is either because it is caused by something else such as stress, or I am not absorbing nutrients well and need to work on my digestion!

I had some cacao powder to hand so added some into the smoothie mix to give a delicious, chocolatey flavour!

Chocolate Smoothie

Makes 1 litre

Ingredients

50g Almonds

100g Kale

50g Cashew nuts

50g Sunflower seeds

50g Prunes

3tbsp Cacao powder

200ml Almond milk

500ml Filtered water

Method

If you have time, soak the almonds and sunflower seeds in filtered water overnight. The next morning drain and leave to dry.

Add all the ingredients in the blender. Blend well for 1 minute.

Pour into a glass and enjoy your smoothie!

Store in the fridge. Avoid exposure to sunlight which destroys riboflavin.

References
Liska, D., Quinn, S., Lukaczer, D. et al. (2004). Clinical Nutrition A Functional Approach. 2nd edn. Washington: The Institute for Functional Medicine. p111

The Most Delicious Hummus!

Dips & Spreads, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , , ,

Hummus is my favourite food! I love it on bread or on my baked sweet potatoes! It is a tasty dish that originated in the Middle East. This recipe is so delicious I had to share it with you immediately! It is based on an Abel & Cole recipe (my new favourite all organic supermarket!). It is super quick to make (20 minutes). I have been wanting to post a hummus recipe for a while. Hope you enjoy it!

P1000982

Makes 2 pots

Ingredients

400g can                    Chickpeas

150ml                         Filtered water

1/2                              Lemon

1                                 Small garlic clove

3tbsp                          Tahini

2tbsp                          Hemp oil

2tbsp                          Olive oil

1/4tsp                         Pink Himalayan salt

1/4tsp                         Black pepper

Method

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Place them in a pan with the filtered water. Simmer for 7 minutes.

When the chickpeas are simmering, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half into a blender. Finely chop the garlic clove. Add in the tahini, oils and 3tbsp filtered water. Season with salt and black pepper.

Next add the cooked chickpeas into the blender. Blend on a low speed for 10 seconds until the hummus is completely smooth.

Pour the hummus out into a container and leave it to cool. Then put it in the fridge to set.

Enjoy it spread on bread or as a dip for carrot sticks! Keeps in the fridge for 3 days.

Note: Ideally store in a glass container. If storing in a plastic container, ensure it has a triangle symbol with a number 5 or 24 inside as these are the only types of plastic that don’t leach into the food!