Friday 28 February 2014

Bread, glorious bread!



I. Love. Bread.
But do you know what I love even more than bread... Home-made bread!
I used to make my own bread all the time last year because I was wheat free- now that I can tolerate wheat... I still do!
This is the bread mix I use:
But why am I going on a about bread all of a sudden?
Well, the previous two sandwiches I have made have been extremely delicious!
You all know my obsession with this sandwich, it is just. so. good! Well, I played around with it and made another de-lish variation:
Hmm- closer, please!
 Sandwiched between two slices of wheat free bread is a chopped banana and coconut, almond butter chocolate spread (raw cacao, coconut butter and almond butter), toasted (in sandwich press) then spread with banana glaze (using the leftover banana, mashing and mixing with some oat milk). It was really yummy :)
For my absolutely delicious savoury bread experience of recent was today, for lunch:
This was the same wheat free bread, with some chopped avocado, then some beans mixed with salsa, two slices of tomato, two poached eggs and some hommus, toasted in a sandwich press.

Don't the eggs look like eyes?

Anyway! This was sooo yum and smelled A-MAZ-ING!
And that is why I love bread.
What is your favourite bread recipe?
:D

Thursday 27 February 2014

Weekly Rap-up


With school and other activities filling up my days, I don't get to post much during the week, so I've decided to do a weekly rap-up of the delicious (and only delicious) meals I have been enjoying...
Hopefully this may provide you with some inspiration if you're stuck in a food rut :)

Starting off the week with some yummy OIAJ (oats in a jar)
Have you seen such creamy oats before in your life:
You simply add your oatbran, milk (I used oat milk) and thinly sliced banana to saucepan, thicken on stove and then whisk vigorously for about 2 mins... yum!

Next, I had a sandwich for lunch...
A super duper time saving sandwich- Roast some veggies (I used pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot) the night before, then add to  sandwich with some mashed lentils mixed with salsa and place in a sandwich press- super delicious!
I'm pretty sure there was some hommus in there too!
Finally dinner:
Steamed greens with sauteed spinach (oil and garlic) two poached eggs and a kind of salsa thingy with toasted seed and dried cranberries and chili.
Close-up:
Another breakfast of the week involved nut butter and toast:
Which is a bit boring so I made a warm banana muesli to go on top:
Then, on Wednesday I had the best breakfast of the week which was a banana microwave muffin with lemon coconut frosting :
Follow this recipe, omit the blueberries and add a whole banana- slightly mashed. Place in the microwave for 1 minute, check, then put it in for another 30 seconds if not set. Then take out from mug, cut in half fill with coconut butter mixed with lemon juice, place back in mug and top with remaining 'frosting':)
Finally, finishing off the weeks recap with today's brekky, which was apple oaties topped with coconut butter, almond butter then cooled. Placed in bowl with grapes and mango raspberry sorbet (mango and raspberry whazzed up in food processor) :
Hope you enjoyed the recap and have some ideas to take away!
Have a fabulous Friday tomorrow!
:D

Saturday 22 February 2014

Mmmm Doughnuts


I seem to be on a bit of a posting my breakfasts kick lately (see; here, here and here) so I've decided...
To give you another awesome breakfast!
:)
Before you say anything, let me paint you a picture. Warm gooey chocolatey banana bread-y... DONUTS! Does it get any better?
Take a look for yourself:



Even better (although there is no way you can tell!) they are wheat free, dairy free, added sugar free, vegan, chocolate banana bread donuts! But that's a bit of a mouthful... so we'll stick with:
CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD DONUTS!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oat flour (rolled oats chopped up in processor)
2 tablespoons oat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon raw cacoa
chia gel (1 tablespoon chia seeds, mixed with 1/4 cup milk of choice- sit for 5 mins, whiz in processor)
1 banana
optional- LSA mix
milk- about 1/4 cup (I used oat milk)

Method:
1. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Place banana in a small food processor and pulse lightly to create chunks, alternatively- lightly
mash)

3. Add banana and chia gel to dry mix
4. Lightly stir to combine, then add enough milk to form a pancake consistency:
5. Preheat a doughnut maker (Or create pancakes in a fry pan- it is pancake Sunday after all!) and grease lightly with oil.
6. Place mix in (or on fry pan- turn after about 2 mins) and cook until firm-ish (it will be gooey-yay bananas!) then transfer to cooling rack.
7. Top with whatever you like. I went with coconut butter. Delicious. I think it would also be great with butter (vegan butter alternatives to keep it vegan!)
8. Enjoy!
If you want to be just like me, enjoy with a glass of soy milk and a side of grapes and hey- what's that?
Any guesses? Well, I didn't know either, but I can tell you it's called a kiwi-berry and looks like a mini kiwifruit, but tastes better (sweeter) and you can eat the skin (IT ISN'T FURRY!)
 Anyway...
I'm sure you saw this coming:
Now I leave you with some more donut pics- coz I took a few...
 
Hmm, this doesn't look right...
Yep, much more realistic :)

Friday 21 February 2014

It's not easy being green...


Unless you taste as good as my smoothie this morning! I'm sure you've all seen these green smoothie things floating around everywhere and yes I love them too! I love the colour, the health benefits, the fact that I cant taste the spinach and the way it reminds me of the Shrek movies.

So here's my version of a super yummy, creamy green smoothie:
Yes, I do prefer smoothies where you need a spoon to eat them :)
Zoom, please:
Hello pretty green colour!
Ingredients:
1 chopped frozen banana
1 small frozen mango, chopped
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or any nut butter)
milk of choice ( I used oat, and not too much - 1 cup maybe- I like mine thick!)
1 massive handful of spinach
optional- chia seeds and LSA mix

Method:
1. Place ingredients in order they are listed in a blender, pulse  for a few times first just to get everything combined, then blend until smooth and creamy dreamy.
2. Enjoy!

I ate mine with a small bowl of muesli:

Because, I wanted to make this spoonful even better, if that was even possible:

If your still really too scared to try a green smoothie (YOU CAN'T TASTE THE SPINACH) then my next recommendation with frozen bananas would be to make some peanut butter ice cream( frozen banana and peanut butter place in food processor- processed until creamy) and eaten with some yummy muesli and fruit:

 How are you going to sneak your greens into your meals today?
Bye for now! :)



COCONUT





I've been known to have nut butter and coconut butter feature in many of my breakfasts:






 (You can find all these recipes on my recipe page)
So, we all know that nut butter is good- in small amounts- full of healthy fats etc.
What about coconut butter? There's been a lot of hype over coconut- especially coconut oil lately, for its high saturated fat content. Even in this months Healthy Food Guide magazine, coconut oil was thrown into the spotlight.
I decided to do a bit of research on coconut butter, to see what's what.. this is what I found- on almost every site I looked on... some great sites include: this one and this one.
  • It boosts metabolism- aids in weight loss and increases energy
  • full of essential amino acids, calcium and magnesium
  • full of healthy fats that keep you feeling fuller for longer
  • Healthy skin
So from what I can see, it's pretty good. As Healthy Food Guide mentioned- more research is probably needed, but for now, if you are enjoying the absolutely decadent, delicious, deadly addicting-ness of coconut butter... I'm sure it'd be fine if you continued to do so! I know I will.

The advice I can give you (seeing as I'm not actually a registered dietitian or anything like that) is MODERATION. That's the key with anything, so ENJOY  a small amount- and trust me, you will :)

P.S. if you are sticking with me on the coconut butter front- check this website out now!

25 Ways to use Coconut Butter

Saturday 15 February 2014

Stroke of GENIUS!



I like to say I'm pretty creative in the kitchen, but nothing could have prepared me for this...

A couple of days ago I made myself my favourite smoothie, except I had a massive frozen banana and used two medium sized mangoes... so I could not finish it (I know- me, really?) So instead I found these moulds:
And placed my remaining smoothie into one. I had no idea what I would do with it, only that I did not want to waste the amzingosity of my smoothie, so into the freezer it went.

Then I remembered my favourite ice cream ever:
A Golden Gaytime.
Which brings me to my breakfast this morning:
My banana mango ice cream, coated in coconut butter and muesli, with some oat-balls in the background, mixed with oat milk, blueberries, grapes and the remaining coconut butter. Best. Brekky. Ever.
To make: 
1. Make yourself a wonderful smoothie (use your favourite smoothie recipe- or mine)
2. Enjoy almost all your smoothie save enough to put in a mould.
3. Freeze:


4. Make oat-balls- you can use this recipe

5. Find some muesli- I used this:
6. Spoon out some coconut butter (maybe 1-2 tablespoons)
7. Working EXTREMELY fast, spread on coconut butter the press on a plate with muesli. If the coconut butter already set (like mine did) dip muesli in coconut and stick it on. Leave to set/ soften ice cream slightly.

8. Place oat-balls in a bowl, add any fruit you want ( I had blueberries and black grapes) add any remaining coconut butter and milk of choice.

9. Enjoy your 'out of this world!' Breakfast!

Mmmm, ice-cream for breakfast! :)
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