Raw Minty Green Tea Cheesecake

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Raw Greentea Cake
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Matcha green tea powder. It is one of my favorite flavours in sweets, which you can find easily back home such as green tea ice cream, green tea latte, shaved ice, macaroon, cake, cookie and even used in cosmetics. When Daniel and I went to Jeju Island a couple of years back, we visited a green tea farm and museum. We learned how much care goes into a little pack of green tea. Then we sat outside looking over the farm and sap on a beautifully brewed fresh tea with green tea dessert. Amazing! And it cannot be compared to those prepacked horrible teabags, which has no depth and tastes just bitter to me. All teas are good for you, but green tea is by far the best. Try to buy a high quality organic green tea as much as possible. It should be vacuum-sealed for freshness when you buy. Store them in the fridge or freezer once open to slow the oxidation process down.

Matcha is packed with exponentially antioxidants. Its ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) is a mighty 1300 units per gram, compared to pomegranates 105 units per gram or blueberries 91 units.It has potent cancer-fighting properties, boosts your energy throughout the day, helps you lose weight and cleanse your body. Matcha is also rich in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that effects the brain’s functioning to promote a state of well-being, alertness, and relaxation. So monks would drink green tea to stay focused and alert during hours of sitting doing meditation.

As well as drinking, you can add matcha green tea powder in your foods. For example, add a teaspoon in your breakfast bowl, yogurt, smoothie, pancakes, and baked goods. You will get addicted to these guys once you try them 🙂

Ingredients

For Base
1 cup of mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
5 medjool dates pitted and chopped
1 tsp of goji berries
1 tsp of cacao powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tsp of cacao nibs
a pinch of salt

Pulse the ingredients in a food processor. Add a bit of water if you need. Press the mixture firmly at the bottom of a small spring form pan. I used a square container with a baking paper lined inside so that it is easy to take it out. Set in the fridge while making the filling.

For Filling
2 cups of raw cashew nuts soaked overnight
1 tbsp of stevia
1 tbsp of matcha green tea powder
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of peppermint extract
2 tbsp of coconut oil
coconut water

Rinse the pre-soaked cashews and drain. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until you get a smooth mixture. Add a bit of coconut water at a time. Taste the mixture if you need any more sweetener or green tea powder. Pour the mixture onto the crust and spread evenly. Cover it and put in the freezer for a few hours to set. Then take it out of the freezer and run the knife gently to cut into little bars. I like keeping the rest in the freezer and take it out 30 mins before serve.

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

Tortilla Espanola

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Spanish Omelet1Eggs are a great source of protein (One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids) and numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D. Amazing!

Many people believe that egg yolks contain high cholesterol, enemy for the risk of heart disease and so prefer having egg whites only for protein. However, many vitamins and minerals are actually in egg yolks, not whites. Your body needs a balance when it comes to cholesterol. Eggs are a beneficial source of healthy fat and research has documented that eggs do not appear to promote heart disease risk. It could also help to prevent breast cancer. So eat the whole eggs, not just egg white!

Tortilla Espanola, a fancy name for Spanish omelet, is a fantastic way of cooking your eggs. Simple ingredients, healthy, inexpensive and tasty! You can even have it next day, which I think is better in terms of flavour. You can serve like pizza as a main or cut into little squares to serve as entree for your dinner party. You can add other vegetables or cheese as well for variations. Whichever you choose to do, it is all delicious 🙂

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 onion
2 potatoes
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp of smoked paprika
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper

Heat coconut oil in a light, non-stick pan. Add chopped onion and potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until soft (you don’t want too much colour). Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. You should be able to mash the potatoes with the back of the spoon. Crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk gently. Season the egg mixture and then pour into a pan making sure the potatoes are just submerged. Turn down the heat and cook on low heat until the edges start to firm and the centre is still wet. Time to flip! Fun part starts. Use a palette knife or spatula to loosen up the edges and shake the pan so that the omelet is not stuck to the pan. Put a large plate over the pan and flip over. Slide the omelet back on to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes. Take it off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. You can serve this hot, cold or at room temperature.Spanish Omelet

Posted in: Breakfast, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Snack

GF Beetroot Chocolate Cake

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Beetroot cacao cakeRoots are amazing nutrition-dense vegetables. Beets, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, radish, yam, ginger, artichoke, celeriac, etc. They grow under ground which means they absorb good nutrition from the soil, full of antioxidants, vitamins and iron. Root veggies also have a slow-burning carbohydrates and fibre, which leaves you full longer and regulates blood sugar level.

Red sexy beets are available all year around, but best from summer to autumn. They’re full of beta-carotene and betalains, which are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. I love using beetroots for its earthy and sweet flavour, great when roasted, pickled, grilled or even raw. Beets go really well with citrus fruits, berries, goat cheese, cumin, nuts and tahini.

I made this decadent chocolate cake using grated raw beetroot, cacao powder and almond meal. It is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and guilt-free. Beautiful rustic texture, moist and chocolatey! It will be also nice to add a shot of espresso or ground coffee for the dark and intense flavour next time.

Ingredients

1 cup of grated beetroot
20g of flaxseed meal
20g chia seeds
2 eggs
50g almond meal
50g buckwheat flour
50g raw cacao powder
1 tsp of grated ginger
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 tbsp of coconut oil
a pinch of salt
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
50g water

Add flaxseed meal, chia seeds and water into a bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it’s set. Add eggs and maple syrup in and whisk gently. Then add other ingredients and combine well with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a prepared baking tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40 minutes or until cooked. Put a dollop of cream cheese frosting on top to serve.

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

GF Berry Crumble

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As the temperature drops down, I am craving for more warm, sweet and tasty breakfast. I don’t normally eat or make crumbles but felt like making one this morning out of the blue. I know it is more of a summery dessert with cream or ice cream on top, but mine is healthier, tastier and I think it is perfect for cold mornings. To top it off, I added a drizzle of Canadian pure maple syrup that my brother-in-law got me after his awesome trip to Canada. Beautiful caramel-like yet light sweetness goes really well with berries.

Coconut flour is made by drying and grinding the meat of a coconut. It is full of fibre and protein, leaving you full for longer and stable blood sugar level. It is also naturally gluten free, giving you no inflammatory allergy reaction to your body. It can be a bit tricky though because if you replace normal flour with coconut flour 100%, it will be crumbly and dense. I’ve been there and don’t want to be there again >.< I also find different brands have different texture and water content. So you need to experiment, control the amount of the liquid going into the batter and mix with other flours like almond flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, etc.
Berry CrumbleIngredients

500g of mixed berries
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp of cardamom powder
1 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tbsp of maple syrup
a squeeze of lemon

For crumble
1 cup of rolled oats
1 tbsp of coconut flour
1 tbsp of almond meal
2 tbsp of coconut oil
a pinch of salt

Toss berries in spices and maple syrup in a large bowl. Transfer to a baking dish. Mix all crumble ingredients and make a crumbly dough with your hands. Pour the mixture over the fruits and bake in the preheated oven (200) for 20-30 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm with thick natural yogurt and maple syrup.

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

Carob Prune Protein Balls

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Carob Prune BallsCarob powder is similar to cocoa and cacao, but doesn’t have caffeine. So if you get headaches or restless nights after eating chocolates, carob may be a better choice for you. It has less calories than cocoa and is also naturally fat-free. I find it tastes naturally sweeter so you don’t have to add as much in recipes. I have used dates to make power balls so far, but experimented with prunes today.

Prunes are also high in minerals and vitamin C and K. They are good for your digestion, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. If you are sensitive to high fructose, then it is better to use other dried fruits instead of dates.

Nuts are all good for you. I like using different kinds of nuts here. Cashew for creamy texture and iron, zinc and copper, almonds for calcium and vitamin E, walnuts for healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Feel free to use other kinds, too. Brazil nuts for selenium, macadamia nuts for thiamin, hazel nuts for manganese and vitamin B6, peanuts for protein. Go nuts and make some power balls x

Ingredients

1 cup of prunes
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts)
1 scoop of whey protein powder
1 tbsp of carob powder
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit of water. If too wet, add some more oats or nuts. Make little balls and keep in an air-tight container in the fridge.

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