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? đŸ™‚

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

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

Green Tea Crepe with Lemon-Rosemary Infused Maple Syrup

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Kale CrepeIt must be a hormonal thing I’m getting a craving for something sweet this week. I cannot stop snacking on my muffins and power balls and still am not satisfied >.<

Sugar is so emotionally addictive. We crave for it when we are happy, sad, upset, bored…or is it just me?! However maybe I have a strong will power cause I never chew on chocolate bars or fudge or something like that out of packet. Evil sugar can modify your genes I reckon. If you grow up with it at earlier age, it is hard to kick the habit and you get withdrawal symptoms when stopped. I personally didn’t have much sweets when I grew up in Korea (thanks mum, love you loads!) but I’ve seen parents here giving kids sweet foods for either rewards or bribe. Not to mention, you often see huge cakes drenched in sugar and heaps of lollies in kid’s birthday parties. Kids do not need that much sugar, or anyone really! For us, grown-ups, not only your health but your beautiful skin gets compromised. Excess glucose from the sugar binds to the skin’s protein and turn them brittle and stiff and cause cell inflammation. So skin appears to be dull and aged. It is hard to live a sugar-free life though since sugar is all hidden these days (watch out for fat-free products!).

If you buy fresh fruits and vegetables and cook at home, you are pretty safe from these bad guys. When you feel like something sweet? it is okay, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Just make a healthy snack with natural sweetener such as maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, stevia, molasses which are my favorites. Your body will appreciate it with more energy, slim waist line, healthy hair and skin, better sleep and just happiness. Well..just my thoughts on sugar anyway. Let’s move onto this amazing green tea crepe recipe, shall we?

Kale Crepe1
Ingredients (2 crepes)

20g flaxseed meal
50g buckwheat flour
1 tsp of macha powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
50g water
1 tbsp of coconut oil
a pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp of cottage cheese

For Lemon-Rosemary Maple Syrup
half of a lemon
1 sprig of rosemary
100g of 100% Canadian maple syrup

For crepes, add flaxseed meal and water into a bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes a gel form. Add other ingredients and whisk gently until you get a thin pancake consistency. Add more water if you need. Heat the non-stick pan over medium heat, add coconut oil, pour the half of the crepe mixture into the pan and swirl around so that the batter fully coats the pan in a thin layer. When the edges are crispy and lifted from the pan, it’s time to flip gently with a spatula. Crepe is really thin so it only takes a minute to cook. For the syrup, add sliced lemon, rosemary and a good quality maple syrup into a saucepan and warm it up for 10 minutes on low heat until it’s all infused. To assemble, spread cottage cheese on the crepe and fold twice. Drizzle the maple syrup and put a slice of lemon and rosemary for garnish. You can keep the leftover maple syrup in the sterilised jar in the fridge.

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

Vanilla Coconut Chia Pudding

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Chia puddingAnother chia recipe. I know I use quite a lot of chia seeds in baking, but this pudding really shines these little awesome guys. All you need to do is mix all ingredients in a jar, shake shake đŸ™‚ and refrigerate it overnight. It is gorgeous and creamy next morning, perfect for on-the-go breakfast. If you don’t like the gel texture, you can mix with oats and fresh fruits like meshed banana. I also like a variety of healthy desserts with chia pudding for example make parfaits instead of using whipped cream, simply freeze in a mold and make yummy popsicles and add into your smoothie to make it thick and creamy. Be creative and play with flavour combinations and exciting toppings. Vanilla-coconut is my favorite!

Ingredients

25g chia seeds
100g coconut milk
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla powder
goji berries and bee pollen for topping
Chia pudding1

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, 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 đŸ™‚ 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