Ottolenghi's Tomato and Pomegranate Salad
Wednesday, May 31, 2023The pleasant sour taste of pomegranate arils with a touch of sweetness complements the juicy, sunny sweetness of ripe tomatoes really well in this simple yet awesome salad. Use a mix of different tomoatoes, preferably heirloom varieties, for more colours, texture and flavours. It works as a fresh and healthy lunch with some homemade bread, or as an easy side to serve with grilled meat or seafood or whatever you enjoy.
Seedy Low Carb Bread with Goat Cheese and Thyme
Monday, May 29, 2023This nutrient-dense low-carb bread is chock-full of seeds (pumpkin, chia, golden flax, and buckwheat), fiber and B vitamins rich wheat germ that are good for our hearts and our moods. However, people who are allergic to gluten, should avoid wheat germ, as it contains gluten. Use rice bran or oat bran instead if you need to go gluten-free.
This bread is absolutely perfect with softened butter and shaved truffle, goat cheese and raspberries, or liver parfait, black pepper and fresh herbs. It is grain-free, nut-free, sugar-free and super crispy when toasted.
Roasted Edamame with Sesame and Black Garlic
Saturday, May 27, 2023Roasted edamame is both delicious and nutritious. It's easy to make and makes a great snack. They are the best on the same day you roast them. It's naturally gluten free, nut free, and dairy free!
I used black garlic granules and fleur de sel as the seasoning, but you can use any spices you like, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, ginger, curry or simply just salt and pepper. You can use either fresh or frozen (thawed) edamame beans. Thaw the frozen shelled edamame on the counter for two hours. To quickly thaw the beans, soak them in some hot water for 1-2 minutes. Drain well before tossing with spices.
Heirloom Carrot and Cashew Salad with Salsa Verde
Thursday, May 25, 2023This easy carrot and salt & pepper cashews salad is a great mix of crunchy, zesty, tangy, and spicy. Perfect on its own or as a great addition to any barbecue. It is bursting with texture and flavour yet dead easy to prepare and super delicious and nutritious.
I used a mixture of white, deep red and purple heirloom carrots. If they aren't readily available, use regular orange carrots instead. You can either grate them or peel lengthwise into long ribbons for an even more appealing presentation. The fresh herby salsa verde really lifts the carrots to a new level.
Poppy Seed Buns with Blueberry Craquelin
Tuesday, May 23, 2023Sweet fluffy yeasted buns filled with an irresistible poppyseed filling and a delicious blueberry flavoured cracked topping made with butter, sugar, and flour. They make the best afternoon tea snack with a strong cup of tea, or on the go breakfast or anytime you feel like indulge a bit. Craquelin, literally means cracker, is a cookie topping that is added to a choux pastry bun to give it a distinct sweet and crunchy texture. Traditionally, it is made of 3 simple ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar. I added a bit of egg here to make it pipable and some dried blueberry powder to flavour the mixture, but any other superfood powder would work great too. Here is another one I made with blackberry powder.
Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes with Ras el Hanout Chickpeas and Spicy Tahini
Sunday, May 21, 2023A delicious, colourful and filling dinner or snack that you can feel good about eating. Swap the chickpeas for quinoa or lentils if you prefer.
Not just a treat for the eyes, vibrant purple sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. To reap the full health benefits, consider eating your sweet potatoes, skin and all since the skin contains three times as much anthocyanin - an antioxidant responsible for the brightly hued flesh of the this root vegetable, as its starchy flesh.
Okra with Spicy Ginger Garlic Sauce
Friday, May 19, 2023Okra, aka Lady's Finger, is low in calories but packed full of nutrients. It is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants that help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Okra is also a good source of Magnesium and Folate. This 15-minute blanched okra recipe dressed with a spicy garlic ginger sauce is easy and great served warm or cold.
Okra often gets a bad reputation due to the slimy texture it gets if it’s not prepared properly. There are many ways to prepare this humble vegetable, but blanching / boiling okra is one of the simplest and healthiest. The best way is to blanch the okra whole without cutting it and adding cider vinegar to the boiling water also helps reduce the sliminess. You can either serve them whole after blanched or slice each okra in half lengthwise.
2-ingredient Pork Rind Keto Bread
Wednesday, May 17, 2023Pork rinds are one of the most keto friendly snacks you can find and the ideal ingredient to use for keto bread since they contain naturally ZERO carbs. In this dairy-free, gluten-free 2-ingredient bread recipe, you basically just need ground pork rinds and egg whites (I used duck egg whites). Spices and herbs are completely optional. The texture of this keto bread roll is soft, tender and spongy with a crunchy crust. They toast well and hold perfectly firm for patties, pulled beef/chicken/pork or simply spreading butter, (black garlic) mayonnaise and liver parfait. Ground pork rind can be used as a panko substitute too.
Egg, Dairy and Gluten-Free Keto Tortillas
Monday, May 15, 2023These keto tortillas are made with almond flour and have a soft and pliable texture thanks to the whole psyllium husks. You can easily double the recipe and freeze them to have on hand anytime you need a healthy wrap or Turkish pizza. Layer them in between parchment paper, so you can pull them out one at a time, if needed. They are egg, dairy, gluten-free too. The recipe creates 4 large tortillas, but you can make 6 medium or 8 small ones. Use a tortilla press to shape them if you have one, otherwise, make sure to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
Tomato Mango Soup with Asparagus
Saturday, May 13, 2023A hint of mango adds a surprising subtle sweetness to this simple tomato soup. The soup is great served warm or chilled. I topped the soup with tender blanched green asparagus tips for a light and refreshing meal, but you can pair it with crispy croutons or baguette. For best result, use the ripe tomatoes and mango.
Low Carb Tahini Bread with Hemp Flour
Thursday, May 11, 2023Hemp flour (not hemp protein powder), aka hemp bran, is made from raw hemp seeds after cold pressing to extract the hemp seed oil. It is rich in dietary fiber (a whopping 30%), protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. Plus, it's gluten-free, low in carbohydrates and completely free from cholesterol, contains no saturated fat and is low in sodium. It has a nutty taste and deep greenish colour.
This low-carb, dairy-free, gluten-free and fibre-packed hemp tahini loaf is very satiating, nutrient dense and great topped with avocado, hummus, or seasonal fruit for a wholesome breakfast. The bread is better stored in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days and it freezes well too.