Roasted Eggplant and Pine Nuts with Tahini Yogurt Dressing

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Eggplant SaladI understand eggplant is not for everyone. I know some people don’t like the spongy texture and slightly bitter taste from the skin. But, when it’s cooked right with beautiful spices, you cannot say no to that, like this salad. I’m loving all the spices on the eggplant – sumac, smoked paprika, cumin, fennel seeds and thyme. I think eggplant marries well with marinades or dressings with Middle Eastern and Asian flavours.

Nutritionally, eggplant is low in calories and sodium, and is a great source of dietary fiber, potassium, and B vitamins. Do not peel off the skin because you have all the beautiful antioxidants in that dark purple shiny skin. It is a must you need to top with tahini yogurt dressing and roasted pine nuts. Tahini, made of sesame seeds, contains good amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which helps the health of your blood vessels and brain. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese. Turkish eats it for breakfast, mixed with honey or pomegranate molasses, and spread on bread. Doesn’t it sound delicious? I like making salad dressings, humus, soup, spreads and snacks with it. It is so versatile and you need only a small teaspoon for a punch of flavour. Enjoy x
Eggplant salad1Ingredients

1 eggplant cubed
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1/2 tsp of sumac
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of thyme
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
1 tbsp of coconut oil
chopped parsley
a handful of pine nuts

For dressing
1 tsp of tahini paste
1 tbsp of non-dairy yogurt or thick Greek yogurt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp of minced garlic
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and cut the eggplant. Mix all spices, herbs and coconut oil in a large bowl. Add the cubed eggplant into the bowl and gently toss. Place in the oven (180) for 20-30 minutes until golden outside and cooked inside. Take it out of the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle chopped parsley and roasted pine nuts. Drizzle with tahini yogurt dressing before serve.

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

GF Carrot and Carob Cake

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Carrot Carob CakeTop layer carrot cake is moist, chai-spiced and savoury whereas the bottom layer carob cake is nicely bitter sweet and rich. I ended up creating this layered cake cause I like both carrot and chocolate cake. I’m a big fan of using a mix of coconut flour and almond flour which has a good amount of fibre, protein and healthy fat, yet low carbohydrate. It is totally gluten-free, grain-free and refined-sugar free. It tastes awesome and leaves you feel healthy, not heavy!

When you use coconut flour, you need to add more liquid and binding components in the batter cause it absorbs quite a lot of liquid. Normally the rule is 1/2 cup of coconut flour needs about 4 eggs. I used only 3 eggs because I had carrot puree in the mixture as well. Secondly, you need to stir well because it tends to get clumpy in the beginning. So keep stirring until you get a smooth consistency. Let the mixture sit for a bit before you bake to make sure coconut flour has absorbed all the liquid. I made this one big loaf, about 8 servings. Feel free to add any nuts or dried fruits or frosting if you like. Happy baking x

Ingredients

Top layer
1 cup of carrot puree
3 eggs
1/3 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Bottom layer
1 tbsp of carob powder
3 eggs1/3 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of Himalayan salt

In a large bowl, gently beat 3 eggs, sugar and oil. Add all dry ingredients for the bottom layer and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and spread evenly with a spatula. For the top layer, beat 3 eggs in a bowl. Add pureed carrot, sugar and oil and stir. Add all dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spread the mixture over the bottom layer. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 50 minutes or until cooked.

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

Banana Bread

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Banana BreadPeople buy nice yellow looking bananas for a snack and then when it goes bad, they make banana bread. Me? I buy bananas to make this banana bread. Sometimes I have to wait for days until the black dots appear on the skin. Yes, Time for baking! This recipe is so simple and quick to make, no technical baking skills required. You need to mash the bananas, mix all ingredients and bake in the oven. I like chunky bits of bananas, nicely browned outside and moist inside. No refined sugar or butter used here, so relatively healthy. It is even more delicious next day as the flavour develops. Well, only if you can wait:) Try whipped cream cheese with cinnamon and honey on the slice of toasted banana bread for your breakfast or with your morning tea. It is to die for!
Banana Bread1Ingredients

200g self-raising flour
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
50g of coconut sugar
50g of rolled oats
1 tbsp of flaxseed meal
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
a pinch of salt
dash of milk if mixture is too dry

Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. Add eggs, sugar and oil and whisk to combine. Add all dry ingredients and fold to combine (batter is thick and chunky). Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45-50 minutes until cooked. Cool it down and serve with cinnamon-honey cream cheese.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, My recipes, Snack

GF Anti-inflammatory Acai Berry Loaf

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There are so many ways to reduce the inflammation in your body through the foods that you eat. Remember that foods high in sugar and saturated fat are going to encourage inflammation because the balance between omega-6 from processed fast foods and omega-3 from fish, nuts and healthy oils becomes out of whack. In short, a diet high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s increases inflammation in the body. So try to eat fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are naturally low in fat. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and nuts. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Love your spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and curry. This gluten-free, dairy-free loaf contains three anti-inflammatory ingredients below- superb!

  • Chia seeds: Chia is one of the most potent sources of plant based omega 3. Omega 3 is the ultimate anti-inflammatory food.
  • Nuts: Almonds are possibly the strongest fighter of inflammation, but all nuts have essential fatty acids and Omega 3.
  • Berries: Acai contains anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant, which is also common in red and purple colour fruits such as grapes and blueberries. Blueberries are fantastic for preventing intestinal inflammation while raspberries can help with arthritis.

I love baking with flaxmeal, coconut flour and almond meal, which are essential in my pantry. Coconut flour is amazing! You get a nice coconut-y flavour and extra fibre which makes you full longer, but remember it absorbs a lot of liquid and the loaf gets quite crumbly and dense. Have fun baking x

Acai Berry Loaf1Ingredients

20g flaxseed meal
100g water
75g coconut flour
35g almond meal
30g chia seeds
1 tbsp of Acai berry powder
1 tsp of vanilla bean powder
3 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp of coconut oil
100g coconut milk
a pinch of salt
1 tsp of baking powder
goji berries, cacao nibs and buckwheat for garnish

Mix flaxseed meal with 100g water and set aside for 10 minutes to make flax “eggs”. Add maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut milk into a bowl and combine with flax “eggs”. Add other ingredients in and mix well. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin, sprinkle goji berries, cacao nibs and buckwheat on top and press gently into the batter. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out dry.

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

Healthy Shepherd’s Pie

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Shepherd's pieShepherd’s pie is something I never knew about before I came to Australia. The name doesn’t really explain what it is. Pie? What kind of pie? Then I was surprised when I saw it because there was no pie crust or pastry used in the dish. Healthy pie? relatively. I had to google what the cottage pie is then because it really confuses me when people use the names interchangeably. This is what I found (you might already know>.<). The term cottage pie from England and Ireland (1791) came long before Shepherd’s pie (1870). Cottage pie used minced beef and sliced potatoes layered on top whereas Shepherd’s used minced lamb with mashed potatoes spread on top. I never thought I would make this, but yes for Daniel. It is very hearty, wintery, comforting food. I tried to make a healthier version using lean beef, lots of veggies and also cauliflower in the mash. You can even skip the beef and make a vegetarian dish, too.   

Ingredients

400g lean ground beef
1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 stalk of celery
1 cup of frozen peas
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of all spice
1 tsp of thyme
salt and pepper

1 tbsp of olive oil1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp of rice flour
2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1 potato
1 cup of chopped cauliflower florets

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the meat and chopped veggies until brown, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and all spices in, season with salt and pepper, cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too dry. In a separate pot, cook chopped potatoes and cauliflower until cooked. Mash until smooth and stir in the oil, milk, nutritional yeast and flour. Pour the meat mixture into the baking dish and spread the potato mixture on top. Put it in the preheated oven (180) for 20-30 minutes until nice and golden on top.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes