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

Za’atar Spiced Borlotti Bean Salad

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Za'atar bean saladZa’atar is a middle eastern spice and herb blend and amazingly aromatic. It is great on flat bread, which helps digest the heaviness of the bread and can prevent many digestive and allergic reactions related to bread. Delicious when sprinkled on hummus or yogurt. You can even make a tea out of it which soothes stomach upset and helps with menstrual cramps. Ingredients of za’atar are thyme (full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties), sesame seeds (contains calcium, copper, phystoterol that can reduce cholesterol levels and boost your immune system) and sumac (full of antioxidants). You can make your own like this or find in local health shops.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1/2 cup dried borlotti bean
1/2 cup diced pumpkin
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp za’atar spice mix
1 large tomato
1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cover beans with water in a pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until cooked. Drain and set aside. Place pumpkin and zucchini in a mixing bowl. Coat with coconut oil and za’atar spice. Spread on a baking tray and place in the preheated oven (180) for 15 minutes until cooked. Dice tomato and roughly chop parsley leaves. To make salad, put cooked beans and veggies in a mixing bowl, drizzle olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle more za’atar spice on top if you wish.

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

Basamic Braised Beets with Orange and Goat Cheese

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Beetroot SaladI’ve written a few posts about health benefits of the beetroots and some recipes already. So I’m not going over again how good it is for you. I was so excited when I saw a bunch of little cute beetroots with the greens attached at the shops today. Do not throw away those greens ever! They are packed with nutrition and beautiful and sweet when wilted down. This salad is so fresh, delicious and addictive. It is a quite classic flavour combination – beetroot, citrus, goat cheese and nuts. You cannot go wrong! Earthy flavour from the beetroot, sweet and tender beet green leaves, acidity from balsamic and orange, rich creamy cheese and crunchy walnuts. Yummy salad like this really excites me, almost feel like dancing 🙂

Beetroot Salad3Ingredients

1 medium size beetroot
a bunch of beet greens
1 tbsp of coconut oil

For balsamic sauce
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of water
1 tsp of garlic
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of sea salt
pepper to taste

To serve
1 small orange
100g goat cheese
a handful of walnuts
more balsamic sauce

Wash the beet and beet greens thoroughly and roughly chop into bite sizes. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add coconut oil, beet and balsamic sauce into a pan. It took me about 10 minutes to cook the beet. If you want to shorten the cooking time, cut it into little cubes. When the beet is caramelised outside and almost cooked, add beet greens and wilt down (don’t overcook!). When the balsamic sauce is evaporated and all ingredients are cooked, season, take off the heat and put on the serving plate. Arrange oranges, goat cheese and walnuts. Drizzle more balsamic sauce if you like before serve.

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

Raw Avocado Tartlets

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Raw avo tartletsIt is my first time using soaked macadamia nuts in my raw dessert. Results? very happy. It has beautiful creamy texture and delicate, sweet, buttery taste. I cannot wait to use it for other desserts, too. As well as the taste, it is also nutritionally awesome.

Macadamias are a rich source of Vitamin A, iron, protein,  thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folates. They also contain moderate amounts of zinc, copper, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. It contains antioxidants like polyphenols, amino acids, flavones and selenium. It is also a good source of carbohydrates like sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose and some starch based carbohydrates. Surprisingly, it has no cholesterol  and no trans fatty acids. The protein, fibre and good fats in macadamia nuts provide energy, promote satiety, stabilise blood sugar level, and actually help you lose weight (of course, when you eat in moderation). So don’t get stuck with certain types of nuts. All nuts are good for you and also different types of nuts contain different nutrition in them. So mix it up!

Raw avocado tartletsIngredients

For crust
50g macadamia nuts
50g raw almonds
1 tsp carob powder
5 dates
a pinch of Himalayan salt

For filling
1 ripe avocado
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tbsp of coconut oil
50g of maple syrup or honey
a squeeze of lemon
a pinch of Himalayan salt
Raw avocado tartlet1For crust, soak the nuts at least 4 hours, best overnight, and blend with carob powder, dates and salt in your food processor until you get a dough. If too dry, add a bit of water or more dates. Take the dough out and set aside. Clean the food processor. For fillings, cut the avocado into small pieces. Put all filling ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness. Transfer to a bowl. To assemble, scoop the dough by a heaping tablespoon, and drop into the bottom of the baking cup liners. Use your fingers to press the crusts down firmly. Spoon the filling batter on each crust and set in the fridge or freezer a couple of hours before serve.

Posted in: Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

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