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.
Breakfast Sausage and Egg
Tuesday, May 09, 2023Roasted Heirloom Carrot Salad with Purple Belgian Endive
Sunday, May 07, 2023The sweetness from roasting the carrots and red onion paired with a delicious tangy lemon vinaigrette is just amazing. Tossed with some mild purple Belgian endives, crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds and sweet pomegranate seeds, creating a dish that will excite the palate, please the eye and leave you wanting more. If you can't find heirloom carrots, regular orange variety works just as fine.
Tuna Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes
Friday, May 05, 2023Fresh heirloom tomatoes are hollowed out, then filled with a deliciously healthy tuna salad and served on a bed of greens and herbs. These protein-packed, no cook stuffed heirloom tomatoes are great anytime of the year, but especially when fresh tomatoes are in season. They are naturally gluten free and keto-friendly. Use some homemade mayonnaise instead of Greek yoghurt if you need to go dairy free.
Vanilla Shortbread with Freeze Dried Raspberries and Pistachios
Wednesday, May 03, 2023These sweet little shortbread cookies are such a simple bake - they're great for afternoon tea parties or as a dessert with some strong coffee. The intense tart flavour of freeze dried raspberries offsets beautifully the sweetness of the vanilla glaze.
Shortbread cookies contain a higher butter content and less sugar than butter cookies. Traditionally they are usually baked at lower temperature and should be not crisp but pale, tender and melting.
Organic freeze-dried raspberries contain 100% raspberries, no colouring, flavouring or sugar. They are great for smoothies, cereals, as a snack or toppings. I bought mine from DM drugstore. You should be able to find them in most grocery stores or Amazon.
Roasted Asparagus with Pinenut Dukkah and Poached Egg
Monday, May 01, 2023Liven up your day with this fresh, fast and tasty roasted asparagus dish with dukkah, Parmesan and poached egg. These tender green spears make a perfect spring meal that will leave you feeling healthy, light, but full and satiated. You don't need vinegar to poach egg if they are fresh and don't add any salt as this may break up the egg white. The water for poaching eggs should be simmering or gently bubbling. A strong boil will cause the egg white to break apart.