Spinach Onion Frittata

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frittataI had a bag of white onions from last week’s shopping and wanted to make something that shines onions. Pickles? Onion jam? Soup? Stuffed onions? Balsamic onion! I like making a big jar of it now and then, which can be added to home-made vegetarian patties, grilled meat or temphe, bean salads, etc. Today I made frittata using sweet balsamic onion along with spinach and peas. Eggs are packed full of protein, amino acids and 11 different vitamins and minerals. They are also easily digestible and jam packed with vitamin D and healthy cholesterol. This recipe is healthy, quick and easy to prepare, oodles of flavour and easy on your wallet. Any leftovers? Enjoy next morning for nutritious brekkie or in your lunch box. Great for either warm or cold x
frittata1Ingredient (serves 2-4)

Balsamic Onion
2 white onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp raw honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
a touch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Spinach Onion Frittata
1 cup of packed spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of green peas
1 cup of balsamic onion
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
4 eggs
50g grounded almond
1 tbsp sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

To make balsamic onion, heat coconut oil over medium heat in a pan, add sliced onions and cook until fragrant. Add other ingredients and cook until liquid is reduced. Take it off the heat and set aside. Crack the eggs in a large bowl and gently whisk. Add the rest of ingredients except sesame seeds into a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a baking tin, lined with baking paper, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Place in the preheated (180) oven for 40 minutes until cooked.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Snack

GF Banana Date Loaf

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Date loafI used to live in a house with a beautiful garden when I was up until 8 years old. I have great childhood memories there, helping my parents with gardening, riding a bicycle, playing with my dog and rabbits, having a little picnic lunch with friends when the sun was out, etc. There was an giant acasia tree, an orange tree, a jujube tree and all sorts. Fresh juicy fruits straight from the trees were delicious. Then we moved to an apartment. I’ve been living in an apartment with no garden or backyard pretty much since then. Well, good thing was that my parents didn’t have to spend every weekend looking after the garden as they both worked full-time. I felt safer and more convenient when I was home after school looking after my little brother. Oh, I miss my childhood when I could run around the garden in bare feet and be closer to the nature. We need more of that these days, don’t you agree? 🙂

You might have tried jujube either fresh or dried. Jujube (Korean date) is called Daechu in Korea. Fresh ones taste like a mini apple, crunchy, sweet and slightly sour. Dried ones are commonly used in Korean herbal medicine since they are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxidant and are believed to alleviate stress. How to use dried jujube? You can make a jam or tea with dried jujube, cinnamon and honey, which I used to drink when I have coughing and flu symptoms. Add into a chicken soup to add more flavour or use in baking muffins and cakes. Korean jujube is definitely not as sweet as the dates you normally use, so add more of them or other sweeteners like honey, maple syrup or stevia.

Ingredients

1 cup of dried jujube
1/2 cup of strongly brewed chai tea
1 carrot, grated
1 large ripe banana
2 tbsp tahini
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
100g almond meal

Soak dried jujube in chai tea for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate them. In the mean time, mix grated carrot, meshed banana, tahini, eggs and honey in a large bowl. Drain, (preserve some of the tea), deseed and roughly chop the jujube. Add them into a bowl along with chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder and almond meal. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit of preserved tea. Combine well with a spatula and transfer to a loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 30-40 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool and enjoy.

 

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack

Lentil Loaf and Raw Red Salad

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Lentil loafI cannot help myself when my laziness kicks in during the week. I don’t feel like cooking or don’t have much appetite for anything, then I easily grab a piece of muffin or raw desserts, instead of a proper meal, that I always keep in my fridge. Why is it so hard to cook for myself? >.< Then problem sorted! I made this lentil loaf and red salad on Monday which was perfect for my lunch for the rest of the week. I assure you it is super easy to prepare, cheap, healthy and flavoursome, too. It is in fact great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, any time of the day. Enjoy x

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Lentil Loaf

200g mixed grains (I used French lentils, brown rice and quinoa)
6 eggs
1 cup of spinach, steamed and roughly chopped
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp of minced garlic
50g toasted pepitas

Soak and rinse French lentils, brown rice and quinoa. Cook them in a pot for about 15 minutes over low heat until tender. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs and add all other ingredients including cooked lentils. Combine well and transfer to a loaf tin, silicon or lined with a baking paper. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for about an hour or until cooked. Let it cool  for 10-15 minutes before cutting. Enjoy either warm or cold with a fresh salad.

Raw Red Salad

1 beetroot, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 of green capsicum, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped fennel
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
1 tbsp e.v.o.o
salt and pepper to taste

Mix vinegar, mustard, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add prepared vegetables in and combine well. Adjust seasoning and set aside for 30 minutes or so before serve.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Savoury Roasted Nuts + Chickpea Salad

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savoury nutsIf you are bored of chewing on plain raw nuts, try roasted nuts dressed in either savoury or sweet flavour. I’ve made vanilla and cinnamon roasted nuts earlier. This time it is salty and spicy savoury nuts 🙂 I used a coconut amino sauce, which is gluten-free and soy-free sauce containing 17 amino acids. If you don’t have it, don’t worry! You can replace with tamari or sodium reduced soy sauce. It is great on its own as a snack, but I also use as salad toppings (as below in chickpea salad) and a sprinkle on soup for extra flavour and crunch. Enjoy x

Savoury Roasted Nuts

100g raw almonds
100g raw pepitas
100g raw sunflower seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp coconut amino sauce
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Soak all nuts in water overnight. Drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Melt coconut oil for 30 seconds in microwave. Then combine with coconut amino sauce, cayenne pepper and salt in a large bowl. Pour the nuts into a bowl and mix well with a spatula making sure all nuts are coated with the sauce. Transfer the nuts onto a baking tray and spread evenly in a single layer. Place in the preheated (170) oven for 20-30 minutes or more until nuts are fragrant and crispy, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. Store in the fridge or freezer.
Chickpea saladSo this is the salad I made after roasting some nuts. Chickpeas are a great base for salads and also add the buttery texture and hearty element. Sweet caramelised onion, rich blue cheese, salty roasted nuts and bitter greens are a match made in heaven. Delicious! It can be a complete dish on its own as well as a great accompaniment to any protein of your choice.

Chickpea Salad with Caramelised Balsamic Onion and Blue Cheese (serves 2)

100g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 cup of salad leaves
1 white onion
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
50g blue cheese
2 tbsp savoury roasted nuts
1 tbsp e.v.o.o
salt and pepper to taste

Put soaked chickpeas in a pot and cover with water. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until cooked. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, thinly slice onion and cook in a pan with coconut oil, balsamic vinegar and honey until caramelised. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble the salad, put cooked chickpeas, salad leaves, caramelised onion and crumbled blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil and extra balsamic vinegar into a bowl. Gently toss to combine. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle savoury roasted nuts on top.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Snack, Vegetarian

GF Rooibos Scone

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The red bush tea a.k.a Rooibos tea from South Africa not only tastes amazing but also is incredibly good for you. It is naturally caffeine free and contains high antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese and zinc, which helps your bone health. Flavonoids in rooibos tea are known to relieve spasm, allergies and inflammation and help your digestion and restful sleep. Tea drinkers out there, worried about iron because of tannin in black tea? Rooibos tea actually supports iron absorption in your body unlike most other black tea since it contains less than half the tannins of black tea. The list goes on…improving blood circulation, relieving hypertension and diabetes, preventing premature aging, improving your skin tone. Wow! Are you amazed by this little beauty? I added brewed tea as well as loose tea in this gluten free scone recipe. It is crispy outside and fluffy inside, perfect as a snack with a cuppa. Enjoy x
rooibos sconeIngredients (makes 4 small scones)

3 teabags of vanilla rooibos tea
100g water to brew the tea
2 eggs
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp chia seeds
50g almond meal
50g coconut flour
50g buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

Steep 3 teabags of vanilla rooibos in freshly boiled water and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, place all dry ingredients and combine together. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add in the rooibos tea (I added loose tea from one tea bag as well), honey and melted coconut oil. Mix dry and wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until combined. Spoon the batter onto a baking paper and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 15-20 minutes until golden. Take it out of the oven and let it cool on a rack. Enjoy with rooibos tea.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack