Super Healthy Coconut Crunch

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coconut crunch
I’m so excited I came across this new ingredient for my gluten-free baking. It is organic coconut crunch! As good as it sounds, coconut crunch is naturally high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and a great source of iron for vegetarians. So what is it? After the extra virgin coconut oil has been extracted, the coconut flesh is then air-dried and processed to grounds with no bleaching, preservatives or additives. I’m glad nothing is wasted! It retains its natural brownish colour, nutty coconut taste and crunch texture, perfect for baking coconut cookies, fruit crumbles, cakes, etc. I purchased online but I’m sure you can find them in local health food shops, too.

These cookies are for everyone to enjoy. For the better health, I used the amazing chia seeds to replace eggs. Coconut oil and coconut palm sugar is used instead of butter and refined sugar. Nutty tahini and a hint of Himalayan salt is also going to add a richness and satiety, you will never miss a store-bought sugary cookies ever again. On top of that, it is embarrassingly easy and quick to make when all ingredients are ready in your pantry. Be responsible cause I know you cannot stop after just one x

Ingredients (x6-7 cookies)

Strongly brewed espresso
15g chia seeds
50g coconut sugar
50g coconut crunch
50g brown rice flour
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine with a spatula. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until chia seeds swell up and coconut crunch/ flour absorb all moisture. Spoon a cookie batter onto a lined baking paper and gently press with the back of spoon into rounds. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Let it cool completely and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

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

Honey Glazed Salmon on Fluffy Millet

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salmon and millet2Want to boost calcium and magnesium in your diet? Here is a great vegetarian source for strong healthy bones.

First of all, yummy nutty sweet gluten-free grains yet inexpensive and easy to prepare. It is millet! If you haven’t heard of it or seen it, you can find them in health food shops or markets or online. It looks like couscous or quinoa. It is an ancient seed originally from African and Northern China. Why is it good for us? It is naturally gluten-free, non-allergenic, easy on digestion and alkylising your body. Millet is also rich in iron, B vitamins (Niacin to lower your cholesterol), magnesium (helps with migraine and heart disease), calcium, serotonin (great for your mood), fibre (helps with constipation) and protein (great for a vegetarian diet). So how do you use this awesome guys? You can add to your salad, make patties, use grounded millet in baking healthy muffins, serve stir-fry or protein with it, make stuffing or make a bowl of creamy porridge. It is so versatile!

Sesame seeds are also loaded with calcium and magnesium. Eating a teaspoon of sesame seeds a day can help provide 28% (based on a 2,000 calories diet) of the calcium needed daily. I like lightly toasting them just before use to maximise nutty fragrance and flavour.

Today, I made honey glazed salmon served on fluffy millet and corn. Fresh, delicious, nutritious and full of calcium and magnesium. Your tummy will love it 🙂

salmon and millet

Ingredients

100g salmon fillet
2 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce

100g millet, soaked 6-8 hours
1 tsp coconut oil
100-200g water or vegetable stock
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 cup of corn
2 bunches of coriander
Himalayan salt and grounded pepper to taste
a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds

Mix honey, olive oil and soy sauce and marinade salmon for half an hour. Then pan fry for 3-4 minutes each side over medium heat. Set aside. For the millet, soak 100g of millet in water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse off to remove the phytic acid. Heat coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, corn and millet. Stir for about 5 minutes until onion is fragrant and translucent and millet is well coated with coconut oil. Then add water or vegetable stock to cover millet, put a lid and cook for about 10-15 minutes in low heat until water is all absorbed. You can add more water depending on how you want your millet to be cooked (fluffy or moist). Stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, season and stir in roughly chopped coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let it sit with a lid on for a few minutes before serve. Serve flaked salmon on warm millet. Garnish with fresh coriander and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,

Goji Chia Jam

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Goji chia jam If you want your jam to be sugar-free, raw, rich in EFA’S, dietary fibre, full of antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, this is the recipe for you. Perfect on a slice of bread, mixed in with natural yoghurt or as topping on morning breakfast bowl. It is super healthy, naturally sweet and nourishes you from inside out. My mum used to make a tea out of it together with cinnamon and honey, perfect in winter when I get a cold because goji berries are high in vitamin C and boost your immune system. This amazing fruit has all essential amino acids, high concentration of protein, great for vegetarians. On top of that, it is naturally anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. So eat more of these guys!
Goji chia jam1Ingredients

100g goji berries
20g chia seeds
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla powder
zest and juice from one orange
water to soak goji berries

Soak goji berries for an hour. Place soaked goji berries, chia seeds, honey, vanilla powder, zest and juice from orange in a food processor. Blend until you get a jam consistency. Taste and adjust sweetness. Transfer to a glass jar and keep refrigerated. If you don’t like a taste of goji berries, you can add blue berries or raspberries into this.

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

Harissa Carrot Salad

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Harissa is eaten in its native Tunisia as a side dish to meals like cous cous and grilled meats. It is delicious when you stir in into soups and stews for a definite kick, mix with yogurt to marinade chicken or spread onto wraps or add into grilled vegetables. It is so versatile to use either a dry mix or a paste when you have a home-made one in your pantry. So here is the recipe (warning! easy on chilli if you are not a fan)

Harissa spice mix

4 tsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Himalayan salt
4 tsp Cumin seeds
4 tsp Smoked paprika
2 small dried chilli
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Caraway seeds
1 tsp Mint (optional, but it adds refreshing note)

Simply toast the seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant, shaking a pan so that they don’t burn. Place them in a mortar and pestle or food processor to combine all together. Let it cool and keep in a air-tight jar. To make a harissa paste, mix equal parts spice with boiling water. Let it sit for 5 minutes then add a good quality of olive oil until you get a paste consistency. Simple!

Harissa Carrot Salad
Harissa Carrot Salad (serves 3-4)

3 carrots
1 cup of cooked French lentils
1 cup of salad mix
1/2 cup of snow pea shoots
1 tbsp coconut oil
1-2 tsp harissa spice mix
Himalayan salt to taste

Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add sliced carrots and harissa spice mix into a pan and stir well until carrots are well coated with oil and spice. Stir occasionally for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Combine with cooked lentils, salad mix and snow pea shoots in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm. It goes well with any kind of grilled meat, tofu or even toasted bread.

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

GF Socca Pizza with Massaged Kale and Marinated Mushrooms

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socca pizzaSocca is a traditional dish from Nice, France. It is a flat bread browned or even blackened around the edges, and it has an almost custard like, tender texture inside. As with many traditional dishes, there are a dozen different ways you can make it Рpan-frying, broiling, baking. It is pretty easy to make. All you need is equal parts chickpea flour and water, mixed with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. You can use more water to make a thinner cr̻pe-like socca or less water to make it thicker. You can also add some herbs and spices in the batter to jazz it up.

Thanks to socca, I can have “pizza” which needs only a few ingredients and no brain. To me, it is too hard making GF pizza dough >.< It is totally gluten-free, perfect for GF pizza, wraps or flat bread. I made this socca pizza for my lunch today with some raw toppings to make it nice and fresh, but feel free to sauté the kale and mushrooms if you like.

Ingredients (single serve)

For socca
50g chickpea flour
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp nutritional yeast
a pinch of Himalayan salt
50g warm water
1 tbsp coconut oil + extra for frying

For topping
1 cup of kale leaves
1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 tbsp coconut amino sauce or tamari
1 tsp coconut vinegar or white wine vinegar
a pinch of Himalayan salt
pepper to taste

To make socca, mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and put in the fridge for 30 minutes until the mixture is set. In the mean time, clean the kale and mushrooms. Tear the kale leaves into bite size and massage with salt and vinegar until softened. Marinate sliced mushrooms in coconut amino sauce. Take the socca mixture out of the fridge. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan and pour the mixture into a pan. Spread evenly with a spatula and cook for a couple of minutes each side over medium heat or until golden. Transfer to a serving plate and top with massaged kale and marinated mushrooms. I also added caramelised beetroot and onion on top.

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